The Ondo State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal has struck out the petition of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP’s candidate, Eyitayo Jegede, against the re-election of Governor Rotimi Akeredolu for lack of merit.
The PDP and its candidate had challenged the victory of Akeredolu in the October 2020 governorship election.
The tribunal judgment, which was earlier scheduled for Wednesday, April 21, was rescheduled last night to today and was held via Zoom.
In the three hours judgment, the Chairman of the tribunal, Justice Abubakar Umar, struck out Jegede’s petition for lack of jurisdiction.
According to the Tribunal, issues raised in the petition are settled issues of internal affairs and management of a political party to which the Tribunal has no jurisdiction.
The Tribunal said both Akeredolu and his Deputy were duly nominated and sponsored by the All Progressives Congress, APC, in line with section 177 of the Constitution and section 31 of the Electoral Act.
The Tribunal further noted that the electoral laws did not specify who to submit the names of candidates even as it cannot determine whether Mai Bala Buni, the Governor of Yobe State is illegally occupying the seat of Caretaker Chairman of the Planning Committee of the extraordinary convention of the APC.