Ekiti gov’ship: Tribunal upholds Oyebanji’s election, SDP candidate to appeal

The Ekiti State Election Petition Tribunal in Ado-Ekiti, the state capital, yesterday upheld the election of Biodun Oyebanji as the validly elected governor of the state in the June 18 poll. 

Chairman of the 3-man election petition tribunal, Justice Wilfred Kpochi, who delivered the judgment dismissed the petition by the Social Democratic Party (SDP) and its candidate, Engr Segun Oni, saying the petition failed woefully on all grounds.

According to the tribunal, the SDP and its candidate, Segun Oni, based several evidences on “mere hear-says” with no valid evidence to proof their petition against the governor. 

The tribunal pointed out that the petitioner was not able to prove the allegations of corrupt practices, with no vital evidence, describing the petition as vague and lacking in facts.

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The tribunal held that Governor Biodun Oyebanji and his deputy, Chief Mrs Monisade Afuye, 1st and 5th respondents respectively, were eminently qualified to run as governor and deputy governor in the said election which they won with lawful votes.

Reacting, Governor Oyebanji described the judgment as a “landmark judgment” and commended the judiciary for living up to its reputation as the bastion of democracy. 

He urged all Ekiti citizens to key into the campaign for Tinubu presidency, assuring that the state would witness tremendous progress under his presidency.

But the lead counsel to the petitioner, Barrister Owoseni Ajayi, while reacting to the judgment said, “We are definitely going to appeal against the judgment.  You should know that we have three legs of court; this is the first, we have the Court of Appeal, we also have the Supreme Court.”