The Governorship Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Akure, the Ondo state capital has fixed next week friday, April 23rd this year to deliver judgement on the petition by the Peoples Democratic Party governorship candidate, Eyitayo Jegede, SAN, seeking to upturn the victory of Governor Rotimi Akeredolu at the October 10, 2020 election.
Justice Umar Abubakar, leading a three-member panel announced this yesterday through a notice to all parties in the case.
The two parties had in February this year adopted their written addresses following which the tribunal subsequently reserved judgement to a later date “that will be communicated to both parties in the case in this month.
Recall that Eyitayo Jegede had petitioned the Tribunal challenging the outcome of the October 10 governorship election in the state in which INEC declared Akeredolu as the winner.
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The petitioner who faulted Akeredolu and his deputy’s participation at the poll alleged that they were not validly nominated by their political party, the All Progressive Congress.
In the course of the legal battle, the defence counsels, Akin Olujimi SAN for Akeredolu and that of the APC, Lateef Fagbemi SAN had pleaded with the court to dismiss Jegede on several grounds.
The defence counsel submitted that 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.
They described the petition as inconsistent which is forbidden by the law.
The defence counsel, therefore, prayed the court to dismiss the petition for not being properly instituted.
Also, they submitted that the tribunal lacks the jurisdiction to interpret section 183 of the constitution as prayed for by the petitioner.
