…As Buhari condoles with Afenifere leader, Pa Fasoranti, over daughter’s death***

A three-member panel of the Court of Appeal presided over by Justice Atinuke Akomolafe-Wilson on Friday dismissed a suit filed against President Muhammadu Buhari, challenging his qualification for the 2019 presidential election.

The Court on Monday, July 8 had reserved judgment in the suit after listening to the argument canvassed by counsel to parties in the matter.

Kalu Kalu, Labaran Ismail and Hassy El-Kuris had approached the appellate court to nullify and set aside the Judgment of the Federal High Court.

The trial court declined to hear their suit instituted to challenge the educational qualification of President Buhari before the conduct of the 2019 general election.

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The appellants in their appeal are asking the appellate court to reverse the judgment of Justice Ahmed Mohammed on the grounds that the processes filed by Buhari and used to strike out their suit were not competent.

They faulted the Judgment of the lower court, which was predicated on the grounds that the suit was statute barred.

The appellants claimed that the Federal High Court erred in law and in its decison because they did not challenge the primary election that produced Buhari as candidate of the APC.

They therefore urged the Court of Appeal to assume jurisdiction over the suit and grant all the reliefs sought at the Federal High Court but which were refused.

Among the reliefs was a declaration that Buhari submitted false information regarding his qualification and certifcate to INEC for the purpose of contesting election into the office of the President of Nigeria and that he should be disqualified.

They also prayed for an order of court directing INEC to remove Buhari’s name as a candidate of APC.

They urged the court to grant another order restraining Buhari from parading himself as a candidate in the 2019 presidential election and also APC from recognizing Buhari as a candidate.

The Federal High Court had on May 2 declined to grant the request of the appellants on the grounds that the suit was not filed within the time allowed by law and therefore sustained the preliminary objection raised by Buhari at the hearing.

But not satisfied, the appellants are now asking the Court of Appeal to grant their reliefs because they are not challenging the primary election of APC as erroneously held by the lower court.

According to them, they are challenging the qualification of Buhari to stand for the presidential election without demonstrating his educational certificates as required by law.

In the meantime, President Muhammadu Buhari has commiserated with the leader of Afenifere, Pa Reuben Fasoranti, over the death of his daughter, Mrs. Funke Olakunrin who was reportedly shot and killed on Friday along the Kajola-Ore road in Ondo State, by those the police described as armed robbers.

In a statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Mr Femi Adesina, in Abuja on Friday night, the president prayed that God would comfort Fasoranti and give him the fortitude to bear the grievous loss.

He also directed security agencies to swing into action and bring the hoodlums to justice in the shortest possible time.

Meanwhile, the Deputy Governor of Ondo State, Agboola Ajayi, on Friday night led a government delegation to the residence of the leader of the pan-Yoruba socio-cultural organisation, Afenifere, Pa Reuben Fasoranti, in Akure, on a condolence visit to the elder statesman whose daughter was killed by gunmen at Ore junction in Ondo State.

Ajayi was accompanied by the Secretary to the State Government,Ifedayo Abegunde, and the Chief of Staff to the Governor, Olugbenga Ale.

The deputy governor, while commisserating with the Afenifere leader, said the state government received the news of the death with shock, and vowed that the perpetrators of the evil act would be brought to book, Ajayi disclosed that Gov. Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, had cut short his trip outside the state to return home.

The 58-year-old victim and the second child of the 94-year-old Fasoranti, was heading to Ore Junction from Akure when she and others were attacked.