House of Reps: Adefarati gets Certificate of Return two months after election

Gboyega Adefarati, son of the former governor of Ondo State, Adebayo Adefarati, has been given his Certificate of Return by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, two months after winning the seat of Akoko South East /South West federal constituency.

Adefarati’s victory was recognised after the Court of Appeal upheld his election.

The Certificate of Return was presented on Wednesday by the INEC National Commissioner, Prof. Kunle Ajayi, at the commissions National Headquarters, Abuja.

Recall that Adefarati was affirmed as the party’s nominee for the House of Representatives by the Court of Appeal.

The Court, which ruled unanimously that the lower court erred in invalidating the APC primary that named Adefarati the winner, certified the APC candidate as the party’s nominee.

A Federal High Court had nullified the primary that produced Adefarati as winner.

Following the development, Adefarati approached the Appeal Court to challenge the decision.

The Appeal Court, however, over ruled the lower court in a unanimous judgement, delivered by Justice Yusuf Bashir, stressing that it lacked jurisdiction, that the originating summon was not properly signed.

Adefarati, polled 25,872 votes to defeat Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate Gbenga Kolawole, who scored 18,403 votes.