Ondo PDP, APC Disagree on Admissibility of Appeal Court Verdict in Election Tribunal

Fidelis David in Akure

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the All Progressives Congress (APC) have disagreed over the admissibility of an Appeal Court judgment in the ongoing petition before the Ondo State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal.
The disagreement followed the APC and its candidate, Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa’s, attempt to tender in evidence the judgment of the Appeal Court, Akure Division, at yesterday’s resumed sitting of the tribunal on in Akure.

The Appeal Court, Akure Division, delivered its judgment on January 28, which dismissed a pre-election appeal filed by the PDP and its governorship candidate, Mr. Agboola Ajayi.
The Appellants had challenged the judgment of the state High Court, which held that Aiyedatiwa and his running mate, Olayide Adelami, were qualified to contest the November 16, 2024, governorship election.
The PDP and Ajayi had held that Aiyedatiwa and Adelami were ineligible to contest the election on the grounds that the latter presented an alleged forged certificate.

The lead counsel to APC at the tribunal, Mr Tayo Oyetibo (SAN), argued that the petitioners, PDP and Ajayi, had caused a constitutional impediment by filing the issue of disqualification in its grounds in the petition when an Appeal Court decision had struck it out.

“There is a constitutional impediment created by them, the PDP, and not by us. It will be a sheer waste of judicial resources to open a trial on this matter. If we proceed, it means we are not obeying the Appeal Court verdict.
“Relying on Section 287, Sub-Section 2 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 as amended, there is nothing to execute here.

“It is more annoying repeating the same thing here after losing in the Appeal Court. We should not allow the petitioners to convince the tribunal to disobey the constitution,” he said.
The APC’s counsel added that it would either be the petitioners withdrawing their petition or waiting for the outcome of their appeal at the Supreme Court.

Earlier, the PDP’s counsel, Mr Bankole Akomolafe (SAN), had withdrawn one of their reliefs calling for fresh election but left that of disqualification of the APC candidate and his running mate, accused of certificate forgery, in the petition.
Akomolafe, who responded to the application of the APC, posited that the cited section of the constitution should not be read in isolation.

He said that the tribunal was bound, stating that he did not envisage any stay of proceedings.
The counsel to the PDP cited Sections 285 and 286, which empowered the tribunal to allow all objections and issues raised for consideration.
The chairman of the panel, Justice Benson Ogbu, said that the tribunal would rule on the application at its final judgment.

He adjourned the sitting to February 20 for hearing.

Five petitions were filed before the tribunal by opposition parties and their candidates, including the PDP, whose candidate, Ajayi, came second in the November 16, 2024, governorship election in the state.