By Rotimi Ojomoyela
ADO-EKITI — The Ekiti State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal has struck out the petition filed by the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, governorship candidate, Dr Wole Oluyede, challenging the re-election of Governor Biodun Oyebanji of the All Progressives Congress, APC.
The three-member tribunal, led by Justice Abubakar Idris Kutigi, struck out the petition at its first sitting in Ado-Ekiti on Tuesday following a motion for withdrawal filed by Oluyede.
Other members of the panel are Justices Aminu Tukur and Maurice Okediya.
The motion for withdrawal was moved by Oluyede’s counsel, Mr Paul Komolafe, who also represented the PDP.
Counsel to Oyebanji and the APC, Dr Onyechi Ikpeazu, SAN, and counsel to the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, Sulaiman Ibrahim, did not oppose the application.
Justice Kutigi subsequently struck out the petition in line with the petitioner’s request.
INEC had declared Oyebanji winner of the June 20 governorship election after he polled 319,224 votes, while Oluyede garnered 40,543 votes. The African Democratic Congress, ADC, candidate, Chief Dare Bejide, came third with 12,872 votes.
Speaking with journalists after the tribunal struck out his petition, Oluyede said he withdrew the case following appeals by individuals he considered important to him and out of respect for President Bola Tinubu.
He said Oyebanji had also extended a hand of fellowship to him after the election and expressed readiness to work with him towards securing victory for Tinubu in Ekiti in the forthcoming presidential election.
Oluyede said: “My decision (to withdraw the petition) was based on the fact that what Ekiti and Nigeria need now is to seek the way forward.
“It’s not easy to withdraw your petition when you know you have a case, but I took the action at the request of people who are important to me, I mean the President and several advisers.
“They have all asked me to withdraw the matter and advised that everybody should come together and let the President win the next election and bring Ekiti forward.
“We have a lot of things to do in Ekiti and it will take the efforts of everybody. It shouldn’t be a partisan thing.
“I am a member of PDP and still remain a member of PDP and we have an election in January for President Tinubu. The Governor too has extended a hand of friendship across to me and we will work together when the election comes and see how things go. It’s just for the betterment of Ekiti and Nigeria.”
Meanwhile, the tribunal adjourned sitting to Thursday, September 10, for ruling on the pre-hearing report filed by parties and Monday, September 14, for hearing of the substantive petitions filed by the Social Democratic Party, SDP, and its candidate, Mr Isaac Adebayo Alade, as well as the Action Alliance, AA, and its candidate, Mr Matthew Olu Omotoso.
The two parties and their candidates are challenging Oyebanji’s return as winner of the election by INEC.
The SDP candidate polled 179 votes, while the AA candidate secured 126 votes in the election.
The tribunal chairman advised counsel to the petitioners to ensure that the respondents were served in good time and that witnesses were brought to court on Monday for commencement of hearing.
The tribunal subsequently fixed Thursday, September 10, for ruling on the pre-hearing report and Monday, September 14, for hearing of the substantive petitions.
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