Ondo 2020: Tribunal Grants Substituted Service of Petition on Akeredolu

Ondo 2020:  Tribunal Grants Substituted Service of Petition  on Akeredolu

By James Sowole

The Ondo State Election Petition Tribunal on the October 2020 governorship election in the state in Akure, the state capital, has granted a motion for substituted service on the state Governor, Oluwarotimi Akeredolu.

The candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Eyitayo Jegede, had last week filed a petition challenging the declaration of the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Akeredolu, as the winner of the election.

In the petition, Jegede is challenging the victory of Akeredolu on four grounds.

He alleged that the election was marred by irregularities and pockets of violence as well as intimidation as well as the ‘faulty emergence’ of Akeredolu at the APC primaries.

Jegede’s counsel, Jamiu Makinde, had in the motion exparte sought an order to serve the defendants through substituted service by pasting the petition on the not

Makinde also sought an order allowing access to materials used for the conduct of the October 10 governorship election in custody of the Independent National Electoral Commission(INEC).

He listed local councils in which electoral materials are to be accessed to include Owo, Eseodo, Ilaje, Okitipupa among others.

Chairman of the Tribunal, Justice Umaru Abubakar, granted the order, saying the petitioner could advertise the served processes in newspaper circulating within its jurisdiction.

Justice Abubakar also allowed the petitioner access to election materials in custody of INEC within the hours of 8a.m. and 4p.m. for a period of five working days.

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