Appeal Court reserves judgment on Adeyeye’s Senatorial election

The court of Appeal in Ado-Ekiti has reserved judgment in the appeal filed by Dayo Adeyeye challenging his sack as the lawmaker representing Ekiti South senatorial district by the National/State Assembly Election Petition Tribunal.

Presiding judge, Justice Uzor-Amaka Anyanwu reserved judgment in the appeal and said parties in the case would be informed of the date for judgment when fixed through their lawyers.

Counsel to the appellant, Dayo Akinlaja, while giving his final address argued that the tribunal was wrong in declaring Biodun Olujimi winner of the February 23rd poll. He noted that the report of an inspection of election materials of which the tribunal based his decision on was not included as part of the original prayers of the petitioner at the time.

Counsel to Senator Olujimi and the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) Wahab Egbewole maintained that the report labeled as exhibit 385 was submissive since all parties involved in the case were present at the inspection. The tribunal had on September 10, sacked the chairman Senate Committee on Media and Public Affairs and ordered INEC to withdraw the certificate of return from Adeyeye and issue fresh one to Senator Olujimi. The three-man tribunal led by Justice Danladi Adeck said the petitioner was able to prove beyond reasonable doubts cases of irregularities in Ikere, Gbonyin and Emure local government areas.

Adeck added that apart from the nullification in some units, the outcome of the tribunal’s verdict was predicated on the recount of the ballots by the contending forces as granted by the court. Eventually, Olujimi polled a total of 54,894 to emerge victorious over Adeyeye who scored 52,243.

Meanwhile, Adeyeye has distanced himself from the 2022 governorship posters that have flooded the streets of Ado Ekiti and blamed mischief-makers as being responsible for the posters.