Ondo Election Petition: Tribunal Begins Sittings, PDP Candidate, Jegede Wins Two Rounds |The Source

By Ayodele Oni

Justice Umaru Abubakar led two other Justices that make up the Election Petition Tribunal looking into petitions against the October 10 Governorship election in Ondo state at Tuesday’s inaugural sitting of the tribunal.

The Tribunal looked into two issues brought before it by Mr Eyitayo Jegede, candidate of the People’s Democratic Party, (PDP) in the election.

In the motion exparte brought by his counsel, Mr Jamiu Makinde, Jegede sought the Tribunal’s nod to serve defendants in the petition through substituted service by pasting copies of the petitions on the Tribunal’s Notice Board and order to inspect materials used for by-election now in custody of Independent National Electoral Commission, (INEC).

Justice Abubakar granted the requests, and ordered that copies of the petition should be advertised in any publication circulating within the jurisdiction of the tribunal, while materials at INEC custody should be inspected within five working days between the hours of 8.am and 4 p.m.

Governor Akeredolu, according to results announced by the INEC, won the election in 15 of the 18 Local Governments, while his closest rival, Jegede, won in three local government areas and Ajayi lost woefully as he did not win in any council, including his own.

Akeredolu scored 292,830 votes against Jegede who polled 195,791.

Jegede had announced last week that he would challenge the outcome of the Governorship poll on grounds of irregularities, pockets of violence, as well as intimidation and fraudulent emergence of Akeredolu at the All Progressives Congress, (APC) primaries.

Councils in which electoral materials are to be accessed are Owo, Eseodo, Ilaje and Okitipupa.

Joined in the petition are INEC, APC and others.

Jegede, who contested the 2016 Governorship election also on the ticket of PDP and lost to incumbent Governor Akeredolu did not challenge the outcome at the tribunal.