Akure.
The Governorship Election Petition Tribunal will hold its inaugural sitting in Akure, Ondo state capital on Tuesday, 8th December, 2020.
Our correspondent reports that Justice Umar Abubakar, leading two other Justices will hear the petition filed by Eyitayo Jegede, SAN against Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, SAN, who was declared winner of the October 10, 2020 election by Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Election tribunals are established pursuant to section 285 of the Nigerian 1999 Constitution ( as Amended) and section 133 of the Electoral Act 2011( as Amended) to address disputes arising from elections.
Eyitayo Jegede, the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has dragged the All Progressives Congress (APC’s) candidate, Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, SAN before the tribunal to answer for perceived infractions on the laws of the land.
Dr. Onyechi Ikpeazu, SAN is leading a team of legal luminaries to prosecute this legal fireworks.
Our correspondent reports that the grounds of the petition include that;
1. Oluwarotimi Akeredolu was not validly nominated by his party APC. By the provisions of section 183 of the 1999 Constitution, a serving governor of a state ( in this case, Yobe state Governor Mai Mala Buni) cannot serve as the National Chairman of APC at the same time to nominate Akeredolu as Candidate of their Party for the Ondo Elections.
Section 183 states, “The governor shall not, during the period when he holds office, hold any other executive office or paid employment in any capacity whatsoever”. In other words, Akeredolu was not validly nominated and as such APC had no candidate for the Ondo Election.
2. Article 17 section iv of the APC Constitution also provides that, any official of the party cannot simultaneously occupy any other executive office in government. It states “No officer in any organ of the party shall hold executive position office in government concurrently”.Again Buni ran foul of this provision.
3. The election was marred with violence in some local governments as well as over voting in other areas.
Jegede therefore prayed the tribunal to declare him as the validly elected governor of Ondo state.
Earlier, while swearing in Justices of the Election Petitions Tribunals for Edo and Ondo states in Abuja, the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Tanko Muhammad admonished the judgesto do what is right in the eyes of the law.
“All eyes will be on you and always remember that your conduct will be publicly dissected and thoroughly scrutinized. Do what is right in our Law books and you will have your names etched in gold”.
