The Supreme Court of Nigeria on Tuesday said Senator Abiola Ajimobi of the All Progressives Congress (APC) was dully elected as the Governor of Oyo state in the April 11, 2015 governorship election held in the state.
The apex court, in a unanimous judgment of a seven member panel of justices headed by Justice Walter Onnoghen dismissed the appeal by Alhaji Rahidi Ladoja of the Accord Party, challenging Ajimobi’s victory in the election conducted by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Justice Clara Binta Ogunbiyi who delivered the judgement, held that Ladoja’s appeal before the court lacks merit and constituted gross abuse of court process.
She held that reasons for the decision of the court will be given on Monday February 15, 2016.
Recalled that the Court of Appeal in Ibadan had dismissed the appeal filed by Ladoja against the victory of the incumbent governor, Senator Abiola Ajimobi in the April poll and upheld a unanimous judgment delivered by the three-man election petition tribunal, which had earlier confirmed the declaration of the governor as winner of the election.
Ladoja, who contested on the platform of Accord Party had alleged that the election of Governor Ajimobi was in contravention of the Electoral Act 2010 as amended noting that the candidate of the All Progressives Congress was not validly elected by lawful votes cast in the election.
Dissatisfied with the judgments of the Oyo State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal and that of the Appeal Court, Ladoja approached the Supreme Court to set aside the judgments of the lower courts and annul Ajimobi’s election.
But, the apex court dismissed his appeal on the grounds that it lacks merit and constituted an abuse of court’s process.
In the same vein, the apex court also upheld the election of Governor Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta state on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Justice John Inyang Okoro, who read the judgment held that the appeal filed by Chief Great Ogboru of Labour Party and the APC Governorship candidate, Olorogun O’tega Emerhor lacks merit and were accordingly dismissed.
The court also held, in a judgment also delivered yesterday that Alhaji Ibrahim Gaidam of the APC was validly elected governor of Yobe state.
The judgment delivered by Justice Mary Peter Odili held that the appeal challenging Gaidam’s election brought before the court by Adamu Maina Waziri of the PDP lacks merit and was accordingly dismissed.
The court reserved reasons for all the judgments delivered yesterday till Monday February 15, 2016.
