The Court of Appeal in Akure, Ondo State has dismissed the petition filed by the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Eyitayo Jegede in the October 2020 governorship election that brought in Rotimi Akeredolu as governor.
Akeredolu is a member of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and won on that platform.
Reading the lead judgment, Justice Theresa Ngolika Orji-Abadua, who delivered the judgement via Zoom described the case filed by Jegede as lacking merit.
Jegede’s counsel, Oyeachi Ikpeazu (SAN) had earlier approached the Appeal Court, saying Mr Akeredolu’s nomination was not constitutional.
This came after an election petition tribunal, led by Justice Umar Abubakar, ruled on April 20, 2021 that the qualification of the APC candidate and his deputy were not a pre-election matter, but a constitutional matter, which is not within its jurisdiction.
“The issue raised therein in this petition are settled issues of internal affairs and Management of a political party which this tribunal has no jurisdiction,” the tribunal said then.
This was in accordance with the argument of the counsel for Mr Akeredolu, and the electoral body INEC.
