The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the All Progressives Congress (APC) have disagreed over the admissibility of an Appeal Court judgment in the ongoing Ondo State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal.
The disagreement arose on Saturday when APC and its candidate, Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa, sought to tender the Appeal Court’s ruling from the Akure Division as evidence before the tribunal. The ruling, delivered on January 28, had dismissed a pre-election appeal by the PDP and its governorship candidate, Agboola Ajayi.
The PDP had initially challenged Aiyedatiwa and his running mate, Olayide Adelami, over alleged certificate forgery, arguing that they were ineligible to contest the November 16, 2024, governorship election.
However, APC’s lead counsel, Tayo Oyetibo (SAN), maintained that the PDP’s petition created a constitutional contradiction, as the Appeal Court had already struck out the disqualification claim.
“It will be a sheer waste of judicial resources to reopen a trial on this matter. If we proceed, it means we are not obeying the Appeal Court verdict,” Oyetibo argued, citing Section 287(2) of the 1999 Constitution.
He insisted that the PDP should either withdraw its petition or await the Supreme Court’s ruling on the matter.
In response, PDP’s counsel, Bankole Akomolafe (SAN), withdrew their request for a fresh election but maintained the challenge against the APC candidates’ eligibility. He argued that the tribunal still had the constitutional authority to hear the matter, referencing Sections 285 and 286.
Justice Benson Ogbu, chairman of the tribunal, stated that the panel would rule on the application in its final judgment and adjourned the hearing to February 20.
The tribunal is currently handling five petitions from opposition parties, including the PDP, whose candidate, Ajayi, finished second in the election.
