The Election Petition Tribunal adjudicating the outcome of the November 16 governorship election in Ondo State has fixed June 4 for the judgment on two of the petitions before it.
Justice Benson Ogubu-led Election Petition Tribunal fixed the date after the petitioners and respondents adopted their written addresses for and against the outcome of the November 16 governorship election filed before the Tribunal.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had declared Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa as the winner of the governorship election having defeated other candidates of the party.
Displeased with the outcome of the election, the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and its candidate, Hon Agboola Ajayi, challenged the outcome of the election at the Justice Benson Ogbu-led Tribunal. Other judges of the Tribunal included Justices Daurabu Sikkam and Imelda Etiape.
PDP, its candidate in the November 16 governorship election, Hon Agboola Ajayi, had, through their counsel, Ishaka Dikko, filed a petition against the election that produced Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa of the APC as the winner.
Aside from the main opposition PDP, other political parties that filed petitions before the Election Petition Tribunal were the Social Democratic Party (SDP) and the African Democratic Congress (ADC).
At the sitting on Saturday, the petitioners adopted their written addresses and asked the Tribunal to set aside the election of November 16. The PDP, through its Counsel Bankole Akomolafe, said the certificate of return given to Aiyedatiwa by INEC should be invalidated because of substantial non-compliance with the electoral act.
Lawyers to other opposition parties, including the Presidential candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), Prince Adewole Adebayo, also want the Tribunal to nullify the election results based on what they called massive irregularities during the polls.
However, the counsel to Governor Aiyedatiwa, his Deputy, Dr. Olayide Adelami, INEC, and other respondents led by Chief Wole Olanipekun, Tayo Oyetibo, and other array of lawyers asked the Tribunal to dismiss the petition with substantial cost.
