• Alleges APC, Aiyedatiwa aware of ‘favourable’ judgment beforehand
• PDP’s action exudes intimidation, assault on judiciary integrity, says APC
The candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the November 16, 2024 governorship election in Ondo State, Agboola Ajayi, has alleged that the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state, as well as its gubernatorial candidate, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, had prior knowledge that the judgment of the election petition tribunal would be in their favour.
Ajayi, while stressing that APC supporters had thronged the premises of the tribunal situated at the Ondo State High Court Complex in a celebratory mood ahead of the judgment, expressed dismay that the evidence and exhibits submitted at the tribunal were not accorded proper analysis.
The tribunal, led by Justice Benson Ogubu, had in its judgment last Wednesday, dismissed the petition of the PDP, as well as that of four other parties challenging the victory of Aiyedatiwa.
The tribunal, in its verdict, declared the petitions as “worthless and unmeritorious.” Ajayi had challenged the qualification of Aiyedatiwa’s deputy, Olayide Adelami, alleging forgery of the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) certificate submitted to INEC, citing inconsistencies with three different names, and also arguing that it ought to have invalidated the APC ticket, consequently affecting the governor’s victory.
The PDP’s candidate, a former deputy governor in the state, who vowed in a statement made available to The Guardian to challenge the judgment at the Court of Appeal, emphasised that all would be done with the country’s electoral legal framework to ensure that justice is served.
Meanwhile, in a swift reaction, the APC, which described the position of the PDP’s candidate as unfortunate, said that the action bore marks of unwarranted assault on the integrity of Nigeria’s judicial system.
The APC, in a statement by its Director of Media and Publicity, Steve Otaloro, stressed that such insinuations not only undermine the hard work and dedication of the judiciary but also disrespect the democratic process.
“It is evident that the PDP’s disappointment stems from its inability to secure a favourable verdict, a result it had hoped would allow it to usurp the mandate given to the APC by the electorate.
“The claims of judicial challenges are nothing more than a reaction to its electoral loss, revealing a pattern of behaviour where the PDP only praises the judiciary when it aligns with its interests. Had the verdict favoured it, it would have undoubtedly lauded the very system it now seeks to vilify.”
