By Banji Ayoola
The ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, on Wednesday expressed confidence that the Governorship Election Petitions Tribunal would re-validate the victory of its candidate, the incumbent Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, SAN, in the October 10 Ondo election.
It reacted barely 24 hours after the candidate of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, at the election, Mr Eyitayo Jegede, SAN, declared that considering the weighty evidence before the panel, he would, at the end of litigation, unseat Akeredolu as governor.
But in a statement by its Media and Publicity Director in Ondo State, Mr Steve Otaloro, APC described Jegede’s hope of reclaiming the mandate given to Governor Oluwatotimi Akeredolu, SAN, at the election petition tribunal is laughable as it reflects the embodiment of ignorance on his part.”
It said: “The mandate given to Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu at the said poll was the true position of acceptance of the man Aketi and APC in his first term in office by the people which can be seen as the true reflection of things in the state today.
“In simple terms, the people of Ondo State have, freely, chosen between APC and other political parties in the state. Therefore, for Mr Jegede who was strongly rejected at the said election to be hopeful of reclaiming the said mandate at a court of law is subject to wishful thinking.
“Mr Eyitayo Jegede, SAN, and the PDP should continue to tell their fairy tales about how they wish the outcome of the Tribunal verdict would be, but the good news is that they can not be the judge in their own case.
“We have absolute confidence in our judicial process and we know that the men and women in charge are people of integrity who will, dispassionately, dispense justice as it should be in tandem with the facts and figures before them.
“Mr Eyitayo Jegede knew he lost the election, but he is only trying to save face by going to court. In doing that he premeditates to employ certain abracadabra of law to steal the people’s mandate from the rightful owner. However, just as he failed at the poll, he will also fail at the Tribunal.
“In order to instill false confidence in his supporters, Jegede said that, “The APC in the state is jittery and we shall take over soon.” The APC as a political party has belief in God and the people that good will always triumph over evil. Our strong advise to him is to be wary of PDP party members who will goad him on so as to feed fat on him, but later desert him when his resources are depleted.
“APC as a vibrant political party in the state is solidly confident that the will of the people who gave us the overwhelming spread victory of 15 Local Governments over Jegede’s only home based 3 Local Governments will prevail at the end of the day.”
Jegede had in a story entitled “I Will Unseat Akeredolu At Tribunal – Jegede,” which was published by The Radiance on Tuesday, December 22, had said that evidence before the Ondo State Governorship Election Petitions Tribunal is weighty enough to sack Akeredolu from office.
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 had spoken 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, where he alleged that both Akeredolu and his party the APC were jittery that they would soon be sent packing by the tribunal.
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.
