Mr Agboola Ajayi, the Peoples Democratic Party‘s candidate for the governorship of Ondo State on November 16, announced Monday that he has petitioned the Ondo State Election Petition Tribunal to overturn Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa’s victory against him.
This occurred twenty-four days following the governorship election.
The All Progressives Congress governor, Aiyedatiwa, was proclaimed the election’s victor by the Independent National Electoral Commission after receiving 366,781 votes, which was more than his nearest opponent, Ajayi, who received 117,845.
Ajayi revealed to reporters at the PDP Secretariat in the state capital of Akure that his legal team had submitted the appeal to the electoral tribunal in the hopes of receiving justice from the government.
However, he refused to state the reason for his request.
The candidate for the PDP expressed his displeasure with the election’s outcome, calling it a “marriage” and “murder of democracy.”
“We are first and foremost grateful to Almighty God for the peaceful election process in Ondo State,” he stated. Our party has not discussed the election in public since it was held to give time for a thorough analysis of what happened on election day. We have now concluded that, despite provocations, the people of Ondo State deserve our thanks for their trust in us and their maturity during the elections.
“We wish to clear up any misunderstandings and accusations directed at the voting public. Allegations surfaced that our individuals were compromised or sold their votes. The people’s will was not for sale, let’s be clear. Their dissatisfaction with the result, which we feel was a democratic failure masterminded by the Independent National Electoral Commission, is reflected in the pain and disappointment they felt following the election. Unfortunately, INEC failed to behave impartially despite our prior cautions and even legal action to ensure neutrality inside the organisation. The proclaimed election results do not accurately represent the desires of the Ondo State populace.
“Unfortunately, INEC failed to behave impartially in spite of our prior cautions and even legal action to ensure neutrality inside the organisation. The proclaimed election results do not accurately represent the desires of the Ondo State populace. The sombre atmosphere that ensued made clear how widely INEC’s announcement of Governor Aiyedatiwa as the winner was received.
“The legal course of action followed by our party is to submit a petition to the electoral tribunal. I promise you that we are still dedicated to seeking justice, even though we will not get into the specifics of the case. Our people are robust, well-educated, and committed to preserving democracy.”
The PDP candidate argued that the Bimodal Voters Accreditation System, as it is currently in operation, has been reportedly used for manipulation and urged the National Assembly to modify the Voting Act to guarantee a transparent and impenetrable voting process.
Former state deputy governor Ajayi, however, stated that he is confident the election petition tribunal will provide justice.
“We continue to believe in the judiciary’s capacity to administer justice in spite of reservations about its moral character. We hope that our case will be decided fairly by the tribunal. In maintaining democracy, the judiciary continues to be an essential institution, and we implore it to meet this challenge.
“The people should be able to freely and fairly choose the leaders of Ondo State.” We are committed to upholding the people’s mandate and restoring the integrity of our democracy,” he said.
According to reports, Ajayi’s lawsuit contesting the state’s November 16 governorship election was denied by the Federal High Court in Akure, Ondo State.
The PDP candidate who contested the qualifications of the APC’s candidates, Lucky Aiyedatiwa and his running companion, Olaiyide Adelami, was found to have lacked locus standi to bring the lawsuit by the presiding judge, Justice Toyin Adegoke.
Additionally, the judge ruled that Ajayi and the PDP’s complaint was prohibited by statute since it was filed beyond the 14 days stipulated by the Electoral Act.
Additionally, Justice Adegoke ruled that the court did not have the authority to consider the claim because it was filed using an originating summons rather than a Writ of Summons.
