The Ekiti State Chapter of the Progressive Peoples Alliance has dragged the Ekiti State Governor, Mr. Segun Oni, before the Federal High Court in Ado-Ekiti, seeking an interpretation over his tenure in office.

In the originating summons filed on Wednesday, the party also joined the Independent National Electoral Commission and Attorney-General of the Federation as co-defendants to the suit.

The PPA also urged the court to take cognisance of the fact that the supplementary election that returned Oni to office on May 6, 2009 was held only in 63 out of the 177 wards of the state, and urged the court to hold that his last oath of May 6 was a continuation of the one he took on May 29, 2007.

The Court of Appeal in Ilorin had on February 17, nullified Oni’s election and ordered the conduct of fresh election into 64 and later 63 wards of the state.

The development followed a petition by the Action Congress governorship candidate, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, who claimed that Oni’s victory in 2007 was aided by corrupt practices and violence.

Lawyer to the PPA, Mr. Owoseni Ajayi, had filed the legal action and formulated three questions for the court to determine.

He is asking the court to determine whether the oath of office taken by Oni on May 29, 2007 was in consonance with Section 180 (2a) of the 1999 Constitution.

The party also wants the court to determine whether the principle of Obi v. INEC on the tenure of governors taking fresh oath was applicable to Oni.

Citing the provisions of Section 180 (2a) of the 1999 Constitution, the party further wanted the court to determine whether the oath of office taken by Oni on May 29, 2007 or the one he took on May 6, 2009 would determine his tenure of office.

Arguing that the governor had secured some valid votes, which qualified him to be inaugurated as the governor on May 29, 2007 and which was carried over to the April 25 supplementary election, the plaintiff is seeking a declaration that Oni‘s tenure should terminate on May 28, 2011.

No date has been fixed for the hearing of the suit.

http://www.punchng.com/Articl.aspx?theartic=Art200905143542123

this is a good case to determine when his term ends in 2011 or 2013.

I think it should be 2011, because the court did not canel the whole election, it just cancelled some local govts and called for re-election in those local govts.