THE petition filed by the Social Democratic Party (SDP) governorship candidate, Chief Segun Oni, against the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate and governor of Ekiti State, Mr Biodun Oyebanji, has been dismissed by the Election Petitions Tribunal hearing the dispute from the June 18, 2022 governorship election in the state
The tribunal in its judgment in Ado Ekiti yesterday also resolved all issues in favour of the respondents and upheld the election of Governor Oyebanji and his deputy, Mrs Monisade Afuye, saying Oni’s petition failed woefully.
Not satisfied with the outcome of the election, Oni had filed a petition against the result declared by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC),in the early hours of June 19, 2022.
In the unanimous judgment read by the chairman of the tribunal, Justice Wilfred Kpochi with the concurrence of the two other members of the panel, Justice Sa’ad Zadawa and Justice J.A. Atsen, the panel held that “head or tail, the petitioners (Oni and SDP) have failed woefully” to convince the jury to nullify the election that brought Oyebanji to power.
The tribunal ruled that Oni himself in his evidence admitted and agreed that Oyebanji and Afuye were validly nominated and sponsored by their party hence it cannot set aside their nomination and candidacy as confirmed by his testimony and evidence before it.
Respondents in the petition are Oyebanji (1st), APC (2nd), Yobe State Governor, Mai Mala Buni, in his capacity as the national chairman of the APC Caretaker/Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee (3rd), INEC (4th) and Afuye (5th).
The petitioner had anchored his case whether Oyebanji and Afuye were qualified to have contested at the polls; whether they were validly nominated by their party, the APC; whether Mala Buni had the authority to sign their nomination papers and forward same to INEC; whether Afuye possessed the right academic certificates to run for deputy governor alleging that they were forged and whether the election was not vitiated by corrupt practices.
Reacting to the judgment the APC Chairman in the state, Hon. Paul Omotoso said, “I am happy, APC is happy, Ekiti is happy. It is just a very nice judgment and that actually spells protection for democracy and defence of justice. That is a perfect judgment, we are happy about it”.
Meanwhile, the lead lawyer for SDP and Segun Oni, Mr Owoseni Ajayi said, “We are definitely going to appeal against the judgment. The superior courts will touch the areas where the tribunal deliberately left unattended to. That is our position and that is our comment.
“These people should rejoice minimally because you will realise that most of the petitions where governors were removed were done by the Supreme Court.”
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