Ondo Election: PDP, Jegede drag Akeredolu to Supreme Court over victory

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ondo State stated that it will appeal against the Appeal Court judgment dismissing the petition against declaring Rotimi Akeredolu as Governor.

This is contained in a statement signed by the State Publicity Secretary, Kennedy Peretei, and made accessible to journalists in Akure, Ondo State on Wednesday.

PDP and its candidate in the October 10, 2020 governorship election, Eyitayo Jegede, had approached the Court of Appeal to annul the election of Akeredolu.

Meanwhile, the appeal court declared in an agreed judgment on Wednesday that the petition by PDP and its candidate lacked merit.

In finalising her lead judgment, Hon. Justice Theresa Orji-Abadua disclosed that the appeal was partly dismissed and partly allowed.

“To the ordinary man in the street, the judgment was inconclusive and we must approach the Supreme Court to help the Appeal Court to conclude the judgment.

“The kernel of the Eyitayo Jegede/PDP petition was whether or not a gross violation of the 1999 Constitution (as Amended) should be allowed to stay.

“Whether or not Mai Mala Buni, as a sitting Governor of Yobe State can double as National Chairman of All Progressives Congress, to sign the nomination of Rotimi Akeredolu (SAN) for the governorship election.

“While the Court of Appeal acknowledged that it was a violation of the Constitution, it still went ahead to dismiss the appeal.

“We are still studying the details of the judgment, by virtue of the fact that it was delivered via Zoom. But we have sufficient grounds to appeal the decision of the court.

“We are confident the Supreme Court, which is the highest court in the land, will do justice,” the statement further stated.