By Banji Ayoola
Evidence before the Ondo State Governorship Election Petitions Tribunal is weighty enough to sack Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, SAN from office, his main challenger in the disputed October 10 election, Mr Eyitayo Jegede, SAN declared on Tuesday.
In fact, Jegede, candidate of the leading opposition party, the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, was confident that he would unseat Akeredolu of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, at the tribunal once the said evidence is proved.
This, he said, has made the governor and his party jittery, noting: “The APC in the state is jittery and we shall take over soon.”
He spoke in Akure the state capital at the inauguration of the newly built PDP State Secretariat, which was destroyed and burnt by vandals who seized the recent nationwide #EndSARS protests.
Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, who was represented by the party’s Caretaker Committee National Vice Chairman, Chief Dayo Ogungbenro, performed the ceremony.
Jegede said that “all evidence before the election petition tribunal are enough to send the All Progressives Congress’ government away from the Alagbaka Government House.”
For this, he noted that the governor and his party, the APC were already jittery of losing in the court, saying: “The APC in the state is jittery and we shall take over soon”
He asked members of the party to first think of what they can do for the party and not only what they can benefit.
He commended Erewa for his good gesture and the chairman of the party, Hon Fatai Adams, for providing good leadership.
In his speech, Adams charged the members in the state “to be more committed and loyal to the party, declaring that the benefits that members would derive from the party would henceforth depend on their contributions to the party.
He said “this is the first time in the history of politics in Nigeria that a single individual would build a secretariat of a party.”
Adams said that whenever there is anything to be shared or appointments to be made, contributions of would-be beneficiaries would be put into consideration.
Also speaking, the landlord of the house before it was destroyed, Mr Dapo Fakorede, described Erewa as one sent to the party, noting that he never believed that the rebuilding of the Secretariat, would be possible again and very soon.
He said: “When the building was razed, the chairman met with me and assured me that it would be rebuilt. I never believed because of the economic situation and the fact that the party was not in power.”
He described the event as unique and special, while commending the leadership qualities of the chairman and other members of the State Working Committee.
The new Party secretariat was singlehandedly built by one of the party’s governorship aspirants in the last election, Godday Erewa.
Jegede is challenging Akeredolu’s victory, as declared by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, in the Ondo State Governorship Election of October 10, on the basis of alleged massive irregularities including vote-buying and intimidation of his party supporters.
INEC had returned Akeredolu, the All Progressives Congress, APC candidate, for a second term.
Also joined in the petition are INEC, APC and the Deputy Governor-elect, Mr. Lucky Aiyedatiwa.
But dissatisfied, Jegede had through his lead counsel, Mr. Ifedayo Adedipe, SAN, filed the petition on his behalf alleging among others, that the election was marred by irregularities and pockets of violence and intimidation. He also faulted the process through which Akeredolu emerged as the APC candidate.
The PDP’s candidate, who had earlier raised observations on the conduct of the election based on his allegations, asked the Elections Petitions Tribunal to upturn the election.
He filed his petition 19 days after the formal declaration of the result, in compliance with the laws, according to Jegede, who said that with the petition’s filing, he had broken his silence on the election.
While declaring Akeredolu winner of the election, INEC had said that the governor and the APC candidate, polled 292,830 votes to defeat other contestants.
The Returning Officer and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ibadan, UI, Prof Idowu Olayinka, had declared that the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Eyitayo Jegede, trailed behind the winner with 195,791 votes, a difference of 97,039 votes; while the incumbent Deputy Governor, Agboola Ajayi of the Zenith Labour Party, ZLP, scored 69,127 votes to come a distant third.
Olayinka made the declaration at about 3 p.m. on Sunday, October 12 after all the results across the state’s 18 local government areas had been collated
According to the official results announced by the commission at its headquarters in Abuja, Akeredolu won in 15 of the state’s 18 local government areas. His main challenger, Jegede, won in the remaining three local government areas.
Altogether, 17 candidates took part in the election.
Olayinka said that 572,745 valid votes were recorded while 18,448 were rejected, and about 16,000 votes cancelled.
