By Ameh Ochojila, Abuja
Candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for the November 11 governorship election in Kogi State, Usman Ododo, has asked a Federal High Court, in Abuja, to dismiss a suit seeking his disqualification from the race.
Ododo, through his lawyer, M. Y Abdullahi, told the court that, contrary to allegations in the suit, he resigned legitimately from the state government employment as required by law, and, thus, eminently qualified for the forthcoming poll.
At the hearing of the suit, yesterday, the APC candidate maintained that he broke no law at the time he picked the Expression of Interest form, and also at the time he stood for the primary and won.
Ododo said that he tendered his resignation letter on March 8 through the office of the state governor, and the appropriate body received the letter the same day.
He drew the attention of the court to section 306 of the 1999 Constitution, adding that whether his resignation was acknowledged, accepted or not, it had started taking effect from the date he submitted the letter.
Ododo said that the plaintiff, in the suit, could not contradict his claim of resignation with any documentary evidence, especially with pay slips or salary payments.
The APC governorship candidate noted that the plaintiff jumped the gun in the way and manner he instituted the suit, adding that the cause of action had not arisen at the time the case was filed.
He, therefore, asked the court to rely on his 19 paragraphs affidavit and dismiss the case for lacking in merit and for being incompetent and baseless.
Source: The Guardian