By Robert Egbe

A federal High Court in Lagos has fined the defeated Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate in last Saturday’s Lagos East Senatorial District by-election, Mr Babatunde Gbadamosi.

Justice Chuka Obiozor slammed a N20,000 fine, following the withdrawal of a motion filed by Gbadamosi’s counsel, Mr Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa (SAN), in a suit seeking to disqualify the winner of the election, Mr Tokunbo Abiru of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

The judge, on Wednesday, upheld the submission of Abiru’s counsel, Mr Kemi Pinheiro (SAN), on the status of the motion and ordered that N10, 000 be paid in favour of the APC and another N10, 000 in favour of Mr Abiru.

At the last hearing of the suit, the court fined the PDP candidate N40,000 – comprising a cost of N20, 000 each in favour of Abiru and the APC against Gbadamosi – after striking out the plaintiff’s motion and adjourned hearing of all interlocutory applications, including APC’s objection to the suit, till yesterday.

Read Also: Lagos East: Again, court fines PDP’s Gbadamosi

Abiru’s eligibility for the poll is being challenged by the PDP and Gbadamosi, who are first and second plaintiffs

But, in their objections, Abiru and APC are, among others, challenging the jurisdiction of the court to entertain the suit on the grounds that it is statute-barred, not having been filed within the 14 days stipulated by Section 285(9) of the Constitution