NEWS FLASH: ONDO TRIBUNAL KNOCKS OUT PDP'S PETITION AGAINST ADEFARATI’S ELECTION: THE LEGAL BATTLE UNRAVELED

The Ondo State Election Petition Tribunal, sitting in Akure, upheld Mr. Gboyega Adefarati's election victory as the representative for Akoko South East/South West.

A three-person tribunal denied a petition that was brought by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate for the federal constituency in the election on February 25.

Olugbenga, through his counsel, Mr Tolu Babaleye, had petitioned Adefarati alongside INEC and the All Progressives Congress (APC), stating that the Federal High Court in Akure had on Feb. 17 nullified the primary election of Adefarati and directed INEC not to recognize the APC candidate in the said election.

He added that in the eyes of the law, APC had no candidate at the time that the Feb. 25 election was held.

But in her verdict, Justice Rose Soji said that the petition lacked merit since the Court of Appeal in Akure had overturned the verdict of the lower court.

Soji added that the prayer of the petitioner was an implication to cause judicial anarchy, describing it as a perfect example of a waste of the court process.

According to her “the tribunal was under a duty by the constitution to enforce the judgment of the appellate court.

She added that the Nigerian constitution stipulates that the Court of Appeal judgments shall be enforced across the federation.

The tribunal, therefore, struck out the petition and awarded a sum of N150,000 against the petitioner in favour of the respondents.

Earlier, the counsel to Adefarati, Chief Olusola Oke (SAN), had asked the court to dismiss the petition because it was an affront to the constitutional right of the respondent as provided by the constitution.

Oke added that the Federal High Court judgement relied upon by the petitioner was a dead judgment that could not be relied upon since the appellate court had nullified it.

He stated that the matter before the tribunal was a pre-election matter that the tribunal could not entertain.

In an interview, after the judgement, the Chairman of the All Progressive Congress in the state, Mr Ade Adetimehin, described the verdict as a victory for democracy.

Adetimehin said that the judgment showed that the common man still had hope in the country.

He added that someone had worked hard to win the election but a losing side wanted to use technicality to hijack the election victory.