I won Ekiti governorship election — Oni

• Challenges Oyebanji’s Victory At Tribunal

The governorship candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) in the June 18 election in Ekiti State, Segun Oni, has declared that he won the election.

Oni, while fielding reporters’ questions shortly after filing the suit at the Election Tribunal, on Thursday, at the High Court premises in Ado-Ekiti, the state capital said: “I’m here to submit my petition in accordance with the law. We are doing this to defend the sanctity of the system. I am challenging the election result because I believe that I won.”

Oni is challenging the victory of Mr. Biodun Oyebanji of the All Progressives Congress (APC), who was declared winner by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) after polling 187,057 votes, as against Oni’s 82,209 votes.

He submitted a159 – page petition document to the tribunal, for Volume One, and about 2,000 exhibits as Volume Two, to challenge the winner’s legitimacy.

The SDP legal team included Obafemi Adewale (SAN), Mr. Owoseni Ajayi and Morakinyo Ogele. Speaking on behalf of the legal counsel, Adewale (SAN), said: “Like you heard from the candidate, if he believed the governorship election was free, fair and credible, he would not have challenged the outcome.

“If he didn’t think he won fairly and squarely, he wouldn’t be here to challenge the poll. But, the conclusion depends on the tribunal. The most important thing is that the candidate is here, asking for justice to be done in accordance with the law…”

“He believes he won the majority of the lawful votes at the election, but he was not declared the winner of the election.”

Adewale said his client also believes that the person so declared by INEC did not win with lawful votes and may not even be competent to participate in the election.