Appeal Court reaffirms Akeredolu’s victory in guber poll

• APC, gov urge Jegede to join ruling party in moving state forward
• PDP may head to Supreme Court, says judgment ‘inconclusive’

The Court of Appeal sitting in Akure has upheld the election of Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu and his deputy, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, in the Ondo State October 10, 2020 election, re-affirming that the appellant’s case, Eyitayo Jegede, lacks merit.

A five-man panel, led by Justice Theresa Orji-Abadua, at a virtual trial, yesterday, delivered the judgment, dismissing the appeal of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate in the election, Jegede.

Justice Orji-Abadua ruled that the appeal lacked merit though some of the grounds were meritorious, dismissing the grounds three and seven and partly allowed ground six of Jegede’s appeal.

However, the court, without any dissenting view from other four justices, namely: H. A Barka, Andenyangtso Ali, J.G Abudanga, resolved issues 1, 2, 4 and 5 in favour of the appellant, Jegede.

Reacting to the judgment, the state Publicity Secretary of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Mr. Alex Kalejaiye, said the “Appeal Court judgment was an affirmation of the people’s decision.”

ALSO, the state Chairman, APC Caretaker Committee, Ade Adetimehin, decried what he called “legal distraction,” accusing the PDP of using it to plunge the state into political crisis.

He, however, lauded the PDP’s governorship candidate for giving a civilised account of himself by approaching the court, urging him to consider the interest of the state and suspend further action and join the ruling party.

BUT the state PDP Publicity Secretary, Mr. Kennedy Peretei, reiterated that the party would challenge the judgment of the Court of Appeal at the Supreme Court, saying: “The appeal was partially dismissed and partially allowed.

MEANWHILE, Akeredolu has urged Jegede to join the government in moving the state forward. Akeredolu, who spoke, yesterday, while reacting to the judgment of the Appeal Court, which re-affirmed his victory, implored Jegede to support his government for the second time.