Justice Joyce Abdulmalik of the Federal High Court in Abuja has dismissed a suit filed by an All Progressives Congress aspirant, Mr Matthew Oyerinmade, challenging the emergence of Hon. Festus Ayodele Adefiranye as the party’s candidate for the Ile-Oluji/Oke-Igbo/Odigbo Federal Constituency in the 2027 House of Representatives election.
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The suit was dismissed after Oyerinmade sought to withdraw it for what he described as “personal reasons.”
His counsel, Dr Remi Olatubora, SAN, informed the court of the plaintiff’s intention to discontinue the action and urged it to grant the application.
However, Adefiranye’s legal team, comprising Abiola Olawole, Samuel Ntibi and Daramola Martins, opposed the request. They argued that issues had already been joined in the matter and that the plaintiff could no longer withdraw the suit unilaterally.
Ruling on the submissions, Justice Abdulmalik upheld the defence’s argument and ordered the dismissal of the case.
“Issues have been joined in this matter. I will make an order of dismissal,” the judge ruled.
The court consequently dismissed the suit without making any order as to costs, bringing Oyerinmade’s legal challenge to Adefiranye’s candidacy to an end.
The ruling contradicts an earlier statement attributed to Segun Odidi of the MATO Mandate Group, which claimed that the court had granted Oyerinmade permission to withdraw the case. The court did not merely strike out the action following a withdrawal; it dismissed it after agreeing that issues had already been joined.
Oyerinmade was among the aspirants reportedly supported by Ondo State Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa who contested but lost the APC National Assembly primaries.
A source close to the aspirant also claimed that Oyerinmade had concluded plans to defect to the Peoples Democratic Party, where he intends to pursue the Ondo South senatorial ticket ahead of the 2027 general election.
Some legal observers noted that an order dismissing a suit may carry different legal consequences from an order merely striking it out, particularly if the plaintiff attempts to institute another action over the same subject matter.
The precise date of the ruling and the suit number could not be independently confirmed from publicly available court records, so I have not inserted an unverified date.
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