The Governorship Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Akure, Ondo State capital, on Saturday fixed 4 June, 2025, for its judgment on the petitions filed by the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the 16 November, 2024, governorship election, Mr Agboola Ajayi, against the victory of Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa in the election.
Aiyedatiwa was declared the winner of the poll after winning in all 18 local government areas of the state.
According to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the state governor and candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Aiyedatiwa, won the election after scoring a total of 366,781 votes, defeating other candidates in the poll.
Not satisfied with the results of the poll, Ajayi and the PDP filed petitions before the tribunal, alleging irregularities during the poll and demanding cancellation of the election results.
Aside from the PDP, other political parties, including the Social Democratic Party and the African Democratic Congress, also filed petitions before the panel challenging the election results.
At the sitting on Saturday, all the petitioners asked the tribunal to set aside the election based on what they called massive irregularities during the polls.
The counsel for Aiyedatiwa, his Deputy, Dr. Olayide Adelami, INEC, and other respondents led by Chief Wole Olanipekun, Tayo Oyetibo, and others, respectively, prayed the tribunal to dismiss the prayers of the petitioners with substantial cost.
The respondents’ counsel said there was nothing substantial before the tribunal to show irregularities. Also, they said there were no witnesses to prove electoral malpractice during the governorship election.
After the petitioners and respondents had adopted their written addresses for and against the outcome of the election, the three-man tribunal headed by Justice Benson Ogubu fixed Wednesday, 4 June, to deliver its verdict.
