The Supreme Court on Friday affirmed the election of Dapo Abiodun of the All Progressives Congress, APC, as the duly elected governor of Ogun State.
A five-member panel of justices presided by Justice Inyang Okoro held that the appeal by the People’s Democratic Party governorship candidate, Ladi Adebutu was unmeritorious.
“In the end, this appeal is unmeritorious and deserves to be dismissed. It is hereby dismissed”, Okoro held.
Adebutu had sought the nullification of Governor Abiodun’s declaration as winner of the election on the ground that the Electoral Act, 2022 was not adhered to, citing corrupt practices and issue of non-qualification.
Mr Abiodun was re-elected as the Governor of Ogun State on the platform of the APC in March 2023.
Recall that the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, had announced that Mr Abiodun polled 276,298 votes to beat his closest challenger, Mr Adebutu, who scored 262,383 votes.
But Mr Adebutu disagreed with the outcome of the poll, prompting him to file a petition at the Ogun State Governorship Election Petitions Tribunal in Abeokuta to challenge the result.
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He told the tribunal that he secured the highest number of valid votes cast at the election and, therefore, ought to have been declared the winner by INEC.
However, Mr Adebutu’s petition was dismissed by the Hamidu Kunaza-led three-member tribunal, affirming Mr Abiodun’s election. He proceeded to the Court of Appeal to challenge the decision.
Delivering judgement on the appeal, the Court of Appeal, in its majority judgement of the three-member panel that was delivered by Joseph Ikyegh, said there was no reason to overturn the judgement of the tribunal.
But in her dissenting, minority opinion, Jane Inyang directed INEC to withdraw the Certificate of Return issued to Mr Abiodun and, within 90 days, conduct a fresh election in some polling units in the state.
