Ondo Governorship Election: Tribunal fixes April 21 for judgement

The Ondo State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Akure has picked Wednesday, April 21, 2021, for the judgement on the petition filed against the second term election of the state governor, Oluwarotimi Akeredolu.

The three-man panel led by Justice Umar Abubakar announced this through a notice to all parties in the case.

The tribunal had on February 25 reserved judgement on the petition after the parties had adopted their written addresses.

The candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the October 10, 2020 governorship election in the state, Eyitayo Jegede (SAN), is seeking to upturn the victory of Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu at the poll.

The petitioner who faulted Akeredolu’s participation at the poll alleged that he and his deputy, Lucky Ayedatiwa of the All Progressives Congress (APC) were not validly nominated.

Also Read: Ondo: You’ll fail at tribunal, APC tells Eyitayo Jegede

Meanwhile, the defence counsel had pleaded with the court to dismiss Jegede’s petition on several grounds.

According to the counsel to Akeredolu and Aiyedatiwa, Akin Olujimi and that of the APC, Lateef Fagbemi, the petitioner had admitted in paragraph 12 of its petition the sponsorship of third and first respondents but failed to prove that they were not validly nominated.

The counsel described the petitioner’s move as that of the inconsistency of pleading which they said was forbidden by law.

Zainab Sa’id