Politics

Tribunal Upholds Aiyedatiwa’s Victory in 2024 Governorship Poll

By Web News 127

By Isaac Afolabi

The Ondo State Governorship Election Petitions Tribunal, sitting in Akure has upheld the election of Governor Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa of the All Progressives Congress, APC, confirming his victory in the November 16, 2024, gubernatorial election.

The three-member panel, led by Justice Benson Ogbu, delivered a unanimous verdict, dismissing the petitions filed by the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, candidate, Agboola Ajayi, and other parties. The tribunal ruled that allegations of widespread irregularities and non-compliance with the Electoral Act were not proven.

Speaking with Radio Nigeria correspondent, after the judgment, Governor Aiyedatiwa expressed gratitude to God and to the people of Ondo State.

He said that the tribunal’s decision reaffirmed the will of the electorate calling on opposition party to join him in transforming the state.

Reacting, counsel to PDP Mr Olujimi Oluseye said his client next decision would be made public soon.

Hundreds of APC supporters gathered outside the court jubilating over the declaration.

Politics

Ogun PDP Poised for Appeal after Tribunal’s Verdict

By Web News 395

By Oluwatoyin Adegoke

The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in Ogun State, has advised members to regard the verdict of the State’s Governorship Election Petitions Tribunal as a temporary setback that would be challenged. 

Deputy Governorship Candidate of the PDP, Mr Adekunle Akinlade, who gave the advice in Abeokuta, said the party would proceed to the Court of Appeal, while exploring and deploying the necessary resources towards getting justice.

Speaking through his Media Aide, Mr Adelani Azeez, the PDP Deputy Governorship candidate urged the members to remain calm and take solace in the fact that the Tribunal was the court of first instance, pointing out that the party was blessed with a resolute leader in its flag bearer, Chief Ladi Adebutu.

The Governorship Elections Petition Tribunal had dismissed the petition filed by Chief Ladi Adebutu and the PDP against the election of Governor Dapo Abiodun for lack of merit.

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Politics

Oyo APC, Abiodun  Congratulate  Tinubu on Victory at Tribunal

By Web News 447

By Oluwakayode Banjo/Bolanle Adesida

The All Progressives Congress APC in Oyo State has expressed delight at  Wednesday’s judgment of the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal which validated the victory of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu at the poll held on February 25, 2023.

The party described the verdict as an indication that the nation’s democracy was moving in the right direction with a prospect of meeting up with the global standard.

A 5-man panel of judges led by Justice Haruna Tsammani had ruled that various petitions from former vice president and the presidential candidate of the People’s Democratic party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, and former governor of Anambra State, who was also the presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP) at the 2023 general election as well as that of the Allied People’s Movement (APM) lacked merit, and thereby affirmed the APC presidential candidate, Tinubu, as validly elected and sworn-in as the President of Nigeria.

Reacting to the development in a statement issued on Wednesday and made available to journalists in Ibadan by its Publicity Secretary, Olawale Sadare, Oyo APC posited that the Judiciary arm of government had again proved that it was ready to play its role as a reliable custodian of justice and the rule of law that is always ready to safeguard democracy and also serve justice to all without fear or favour.

“As active contributors to the transparent processes that produced President Bola Tinubu as the candidate of our great and the coulorful electioneering which had issue-based campaigns as its nucleus as well as his electoral victory on February 25, 2023, we had no doubt in our mind that challenging Tinubu’s mandate in court were only chasing shadows. We are indeed glad that the court did justice to the matter in the face of blackmail, propaganda, and threats of harassment.

“While we are using this opportunity to congratulate our dear leader, President Bola Tinubu, and the leadership of our great Party on this hard-won victory yet again, we urge Mr. President to forge ahead in his efforts aimed at uniting Nigeria and also reposition the country to reclaim its pride of place in the global community. The present administration cannot afford to lose focus on the mission to fix all the key sectors of the economy, power, security, health, agriculture, ICT among others and it is on this premise that we call on all patriots, including members of the opposition, to join hands with President Tinubu to move the nation forward.” Oyo APC stated.

In a similar development, Oyo APC has congratulated its National Assembly members who have had their electoral victory upheld by the various tribunals.

“It is a thing of joy that the mandates given Sen. Abdulfatai Buhari and Sen. Sarafadeen Alli as well as Hon. Akin Alabi, Hon. Olaide Akinremi, Hon. Akeem Adeyemi and Hon. Lateef Muhammeda by the good people of their Senatorial districts and constituencies respectively have been affirmed by the courts as this is an eloquent testimony that the Judiciary remains the last hope of the common man,” APC concluded.

Similarly, Ogun State Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun has congratulated President Bola Tinubu and Vice President, Kashim Shettima on their resounding victory at the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal.

In a statement in Abeokuta, Governor Abiodun said the tribunal’s verdict was an affirmation of the trust reposed in the President by Nigerians as shown in the outcome of the presidential election.

The Governor said that the tribunal’s ruling that President Tinubu was duly elected as announced by the Independent National Electoral Commission 

was a further testament to the fact that the judiciary is the last hope of the people.

He described the judgment as sound, detailed and comprehensive, noting that the judges displayed 

unmatched courage in the discharge of their duties.

The Tribunal, in a unanimous decision, threw out the petitions filed by the Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi and his Peoples Democratic Party PDP counterpart  Atiku Abubakar.

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Judiciary

Tribunal Dismisses APM’s Petition against Makinde

By Web News 392

By Jeffery Ahonmisi

The governorship election petition tribunal sitting in Iyaganku, Ibadan has dismissed the petition of the Allied Peoples Movement, APM, against the March 18 governorship victory of the Peoples Democratic candidate, Mr Seyi Makinde.

Delivering the ruling, Justice Ejiro Emudainohwu while dismissing the petition also awarded the cost of one million naira each to the second and third respondents who are the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, and Mr Seyi Makinde.

Reacting after the ruling, counsel to Mr. Seyi Makinde, Otunba Kunle Kalejaiye, SAN, applauded Justice Emudainohwu for awarding the cost and dismissing the petition to serve as a deterrent to political parties who might want to file a frivolous petition and waste precious time and resources of the court.

Also reacting counsel to the Allied Peoples Movement, Mr. Henry Bello said the party decided to withdraw the petition since the party’s governorship candidate in the March 18 election, Mr. Adeniran Oluwaseyi had congratulated Governor Seyi Makinde on his victory.

Recalled that the state executives of the Allied Peoples Movement had on Monday this week withdrawn the National Parties Petition against the victory of Mr. Seyi Makinde in the March 18 governorship election.

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Politics

Osun Tribunal Dismisses AA’s Petition against Senator Fadahunsi

By Web News 704

By Adenitan Akinola 

The Osun State National Assembly Electoral Petition Tribunal has dismissed the petition filed against the election of Senator Adenigba Fadahunsi of Osun East Senatorial District by the candidate of Action Alliance, AA Motunrayo Adeniji.

The dismissal was consequent upon the failure of the petitioner to attend the pre-hearing session of the cases as mandated by the Law.

Moving an oral application, counsel to the first respondent, the Independent National Electoral Commission, INRC, Mr Yemi Abiona submitted that based on the provisions of Schedule one paragraph 18 sub-paragraph 1 (A), failure of the petitioner to be available for the pre-hearing trial automatically amounted to the dismissal of the petition.

Mr Abiona argued that neither the Petitioners, their representatives nor their counsels were in Court, which indicated that they had abandoned the case. 

Similarly, one of the counsels to the PDP Mr Edmund Biriomoni adopted the submission of the INEC’s counsel and urged the Tribunal to dismiss the petition.

In a short serial ruling on all the cases, Chairman of the Tribunal, Justice Ado Birni-Kudu declared that based on the provisions of the Electoral Act, 2022 as amended the petitions stood dismissed.

Justice Birni-Kudu noted that it was in record that the petitioners were in court the last adjournment when the pre-hearing trial was fixed.

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Politics

Tribunal Dismisses Oyo AA Suit

By Web News 592

By Jeffery Ahonmisi

Oyo state governorship election petition tribunal sitting in Ibadan has dismissed a suit filed by the action alliance and its candidate Mr. Babatunde Ajala against the victory of Governor Seyi Makinde and the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in the March 18 governorship election.

Delivering the judgment, Justice Ejiro Emudainohwo while dismissing the suit also awarded Governor Seyi Makinde, the PDP, and the Independent National Electoral Commission INEC, the sum of six hundred thousand nairas for the cost incurred during the trial.

Counsel to the petitioners, Mr Etibo King had earlier submitted an application for the withdrawal of the suit.

Mr. King noted that they sought the withdrawal of the suit based on a re-evaluation of their grounds.

Also speaking after the judgment, counsel to the Governor, Otunba Kunle Kalejaiye, SAN, while lauding the judgment called on the National Assembly to review the electoral act to curb candidates that scored insignificant votes from challenging the winner of an election.

The action alliance and its candidate Babatunde Ajala had challenged the victory of Governor Seyi Makinde of the people democratic party, PDP, in the March 18, 2023 governorship election on valid nomination and unlawful exclusion.

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Judiciary

Tribunal Throws out Suit against Gov. Oyebanji

By Web News 480

The Ekiti State Election Petitions Tribunal sitting in Ado Ekiti has dismissed the case instituted by SDP and its candidate against the June 16th election of Biodun Oyebanji as the Governor of the state.

The court in over two hours and forty-five minutes of judgment resolved all the issues raised by the petitioner for determination and subsequently affirmed the election of incumbent Governor Biodun Oyebanji.

Delivering the ruling, a member of the Tribunal Justice Zaad Zadawa held that the SDP and its candidate failed to present satisfactory evidences that the incumbent Governor and his Deputy were not eminent qualified to context the June 18 poll.

The court further affirmed that it was puerile for the petitioners to base their case on the signing of a nomination letter since it was the party at the state level that decide the candidate to represent it in an election

Blessing Adesanya

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Politics

2020 Election: Ekiti Election Tribunal Resumes Sitting

By Web News 610

The Ondo State 2020 Governorship Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Akure today resumed with an INEC top official, Mr. Tope Aina testifying as the electoral body opens its defence.

The PDP and its candidate, Mr. Eyitayo Jegede who are challenging the return of Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu of the APC, had last week Wednesday closed their case without calling their 399 witnesses listed.

At the resumed hearing of the petition, the Counsel to INEC, Charles Edosomwan, led the commission’s Director of operations, Mr. Tope Aina to a witness box, and adopted his statement on oath.

Counsel to the APC, Lateef Fagbemi, and that of Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu and the Deputy Governor, lucky Aiyedatiwa, Chief Akin Olujimi, cross-examined the INEC official on the nomination of Mr. Akeredolu as the APC candidate and subsequent publication of his name without any objection.

The counsel to the PDP candidate, Onyeakachi Ikpeazu also cross-examined the INEC official on issue bordering on the status of the APC national caretaker Chairman, Governor Mai Mala Buni who signed and submitted the nomination form of Mr. Akeredolu to the INEC.

The tribunal has adjourned till tomorrow Wednesday for further hearing of the petition brought by the PDP and its candidate, Mr. Jegede.

Cov/Oguntoye/Adegbite

Yoruba

Igbimo to n risi awuyewuye lasiko idibo pase eto idibo miran n’ipinle Bayelsa

By Web News 983

Loni, igbimo ton risi awuyewuye to suyo lasiko idibo ni won fagile eto idibo to gbe Gomina Douye Diri ati igbakeji Gomina Lawrence Ewhtujakpo wole.

Nine idajo eyi ti Adajo Yunusa Musa gbe kale, sope iwe edun eyi ti egbe osele Advance National Democratic Party, ANDP ko eyi to fihan pe Ajo to n mojuto eto idibo nile yi INEC, lo ti yo oruko egbe oselu naa kuro, ninu awon to kopa ninu eto idibo lojo kerindinlogun, osun kokanla odun 2019.

Igbimo to n risi awuyewuye to suyo lasiko idibo, wa pa laase pe ki ajo INEC seto idobo sipo Gomina miran nipinle Bayelsa larin adorun ojo. Lolade Afonja