Boma Achenimie 
The Ondo State Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Akure on Thursday validated Mr Gboyega Adefarati’s election to the House of Representatives, the election was based on February 25, 2023.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had declared Adefarati, who represents the Akoko South-East/Akoko South-West Federal Constituency, as the winner of the February 25 election after she outperformed the PDP candidate, Mr Kolawole Olugbenga.
He garnered 25,872 votes to defeat the PDP candidate, who polled 18,403 votes.
Dissatisfied with the election’s results, the PDP candidate approach the tribunal to request that Adefarati’s victory be declared invalid on grounds that the APC did not field a candidate.
Through his attorney, Mr Tolu Babaleye, Olugbenga filed a petition with the court on behalf of Adefarati, INEC, and the APC, claiming that the Federal High Court in Akure had invalidated Adefarati’s primary and ordered INEC not to recognise the APC candidate in the February election on February 17, 2023.
Justice Rose Soji ruled that the petition lacked merit because the Akure Court of Appeal had rejected the lower court’s decision.
READ ALSO:
- Ondo: Aiyedatiwa Consolidates Slowly –Sources
- Ondo To Spend N7bn As Palliative, Gives 1m Households Free Food
- Ondo Hijacked Scheme, Diverted Funds Meant For The People –Sen Akinyelure
Soji asserted that the petitioner’s prayer implied a desire to bring about judicial anarchy and served as the epitome of a waste of the legal process. He added that the tribunal was required by the constitution to uphold the appellate court’s decision.
The Nigerian constitution, she said, provides that the rulings of the Court of Appeal must be upheld throughout the entire federation.
The petition was dismissed by the tribunal, and the respondents were given a payment of N150,000 against the petitioner.
Mr Ade Adetimehin, the state’s APC chairman, responded to the verdict by calling it a win for democracy.
Adetimehin added that “the judgment showed that the common man still had hope in the country.”
He said, “Someone had worked hard to win the election but a losing side wanted to use a technicality to hijack the election victory. This is unfair.”
