Election tribunal affirms Akeredolu’s victory at Ondo guber poll

Ebun Francis| The Ondo state election petition tribunal sitting in Akure, the state capital on Tuesday affirmed the reelection of Governor Rotimi Akeredolu of the ruling All Congress Party (APC).

Akeredolu was declared winner of the Oct. 10, 2020 governorship poll in Ondo by the Independent National Electoral Commission with 292,830 votes, while the runner-up, Eyitayo Jegede of the PDP finished behind him with 195,791.

But Jegede had approached the tribunal to challenge Akeredolu’s reelection through Ifedayo Adedipe, his lead counsel, who told the tribunal that the election was marred by “irregularities, violence, and intimidation of eligible voters”.

Adedipe further claimed that Akeredolu and Lucky Aiyedatiwa, his deputy, were not duly nominated by their party and asked the tribunal to annul their victory and declare him the winner of the election.

However, the tribunal chairman Abubakar Umar delivering judgment via Zoom on Tuesday, struck out the petition for want of jurisdiction.

According to Umar, the PDP candidate has no justification to interfere in the internal affairs of the APC.

“Issue raised therein in this petition are settled issue of internal affairs and management of a political party which this tribunal has no jurisdiction,” the tribunal held.

He consequently dismissed the petition.