Ondo Guber Poll: Aiyedatiwa, Ajayi, Others Know Fate June 4

The Election Petitions Tribunal has fixed June 4 for the judgment on the petitions before it on the outcome of the November 16 governorship election held in Ondo State.

The tribunal, led by Justice Benson Ogubu, fixed the date after the petitioners and respondents adopted their written addresses for and against the outcome of the governorship election.

Recall that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declared Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa as the winner of the governorship election having defeated candidates of the other parties.
Not satisfied with the outcome of the election, the Peoples 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 include Justices Daurabu Sikkam and Imelda Etiape.

PDP and its governorship candidate in the 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.

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Apart 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, 2024.

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, counsel to Aiyedatiwa, his deputy, Dr Olayide Adelami, INEC, and other respondents led by Chief Wole Olanipekun, Tayo Oyetibo and other lawyers asked the Tribunal to dismiss the petitions with substantial cost.

According to the lawyers, there was nothing substantial before the Tribunal to show irregularities. Also, they said there were no witnesses to prove electoral malpractice during the governorship election.

The Tribunal fixed June 4 for the final decision on the petitions filed by the opposition parties.