TheCable

The Ekiti election petition tribunal has fixed Thursday to deliver judgment in the petition filed by Segun Oni, candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), against Biodun Oyebanji, governor of Ekiti.

Umar Abubakar, secretary to the tribunal, said this in a notice issued to parties in the suit on Wednesday. 

“The election petitions tribunal in charge of the Ekiti state governorship election will, on Thursday, the 29th of December, deliver judgment in the petition filed by chief Segun Oni, challenging the victory of Gov. Biodun Oyebanji,” the notice reads.

“The judgment will hold at the tribunal venue, located within the Ekiti state high court, Ado-Ekiti by 9:00 a.m.

“All concerned authorities are to take note.”

Biodun Oyebanji, former secretary to the state government (SSG), was declared the winner of the governorship election after securing victory in 15 out of the 16 LGAs in the state.

Oyebanji of the All Progressives Congress (APC) secured 187,057 votes, defeating Oni who polled 82,211 votes, and Bisi Kolawole of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), who got 67,457 votes.

Dissatisfied with the outcome of the June 18 governorship poll, Oni filed a petition against Oyebanji and the APC before a three-member tribunal chaired by Wilfred Kpochi.

Other members of the tribunal panel are Sa’ad  Zadawa and Jacob Atsen, while other respondents in the case are the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the Nigeria Police Force (NPF), and the APC chairman.

Oni had claimed in his petition that Oyebanji’s election was characterised by irregularities.

He had also argued that it was wrong for the Mai Mala Buni-led APC leadership to have supervised the primary that led to Oyebanji being elected as the APC governorship candidate.