Akeredolu not validly nominated as APC candidate, Jegede tells tribunal

The candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the October 10 governorship election in Ondo State, Eyitayo Jegede, on Tuesday told the election petition tribunal sitting in Akure that the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Mr. Oluwarotimi Akeredolu was not validly nominated by his party as candidate for the election.

The position of Jegede is that Yobe State Governor Mai Mala Buni, as a sitting governor, cannot also function as the caretaker committee chairman of APC.

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Giving evidence at the tribunal presided over by Justice Umar Abubakar, the PDP candidate said the nomination of Akeredolu ran contrary to the APC constitution and 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as amended.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), had declared Akeredolu winner of the October 10 governorship election.

Dissatisfied with the outcome of the election, Jegede of PDP, through his counsel, Mr Onyeachi Ikpeazu SAN, approached the tribunal to invalidate the victory of Akeredolu.

At the sitting, witnessed by leaders of both PDP and APC and hordes of security personnel, Jegede tendered exhibits including the election result, nomination form and the results of the election across the 18 local government areas of the state.

After arguments for and against by counsel to the petitioner and the defendants, the three-man panel admitted all the exhibits by the petitioner before the tribunal.

During cross-examination, counsel to the defendants, Lateef Fagbemi and Akin Olujimi, said Jegede who is not a member of APC should not interfere with the internal affairs of the party.

The counsel to INEC, Charles Edonsanmiwan, also averred that the crux of Jegede’s petition was basically about APC’s primary and the emergence of Akeredolu as candidate when he was not a member of the party.

In his response, Jejede argued that since he contested in the election with the APC candidate, he has every right to question the process that produced Akeredolu as a candidate for the election.