The Court of Appeal in Akure, Ondo State, on Wednesday has upheld the re-election of Governor Rotimi Akeredolu of Ondo State as it declared him the authentic winner of the 2020 Ondo gubernatorial election.
The court struck out the petition filed by the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Eyitayo Jegede against Akeredolu who contested under the platform of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
Reading the lead judgment, Justice Theresa Ngolika Orji-Abadua, who delivered the judgement via Zoom dismissed the petition filed by Jegede, saying it lacks merit.
Jegede’s counsel, Oyeachi Ikpeazu (SAN) had during the suit hearing at the Appeal Court argued that Akeredolu’s nomination was not constitutional.
However, the court of Appeal has now declared Akeredolu as the authentic winner of the 2020 gubernatorial election.
Recall also that Akeredolu had defeated Jegede at the tribunal. An election petition tribunal, led by Justice Umar Abubakar, had ruled on April 20, 2021 that the qualification of the APC candidate and his deputy were not a pre-election matter, but a constitutional matter, which is not within its jurisdiction.
“The issue raised therein in this petition are settled issues of internal affairs and Management of a political party which this tribunal has no jurisdiction,” the tribunal had said.
