The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ondo State has asked the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the last governorship election in Ondo State, Agboola Ajayi, to tender an apology following his recent claim that members of the APC were aware of the tribunal’s verdict beforehand, which is why they were celebrating in the streets of Akure.
Naijaonpoint reports that on June 4, the tribunal upheld the victory of the APC candidate in the election, Lucky Aiyedatiwa.
In a unanimous decision rendered by the three-member tribunal chaired by Justice Benson Ogbu, the tribunal rejected the petitions filed by Ajayi and other petitioners, citing incompetence, lack of merit, and diligence as reasons.
The tribunal also characterized the petitions as frivolous.
In light of the tribunal’s favorable ruling, APC members and supporters took to the streets of Akure, the state capital, to celebrate; however, the PDP candidate, Ajayi asserted that their celebrations suggested they had prior knowledge of the verdict.
Consequently, he has pledged to appeal the ruling of the state election petition tribunal.
The PDP candidate, Ajayi, in a statement released on Tuesday, indicated that the party is still evaluating the judgment while expressing skepticism regarding it.
Agboola said, “Due cognisance and rapt attention has been accorded to the kernel on which the honourable justices based their findings and conclusion, which in our opinion did not accord proper analysis to details of the evidence and exhibits submitted to tribunal while it sat.
“Thus to say the very least, we feel disappointed that we didn’t get justice at that level, but we remain undeterred and undiscouraged in our search to ensure that justice is not only served in this matter but also ensure that honesty begins to prevail in our election process.
“Therefore we restate our conclusion to vitiate our rights and desires towards advancing our commitment to the legal process by appealing the judgment of the tribunal at the Court of Appeal.
“This we do despite the obvious challenges that the judiciary faces in Nigeria at this particular period.”
He urged party members and supporters not to be weary, adding that justice would reign in the state and nation.
A Disrespect To Democratic Process
In a swift response, however, to Ajayi’s assertions, the Ondo APC called for a full apology to the judiciary and to the numerous voters who participated in the election.
The party, through a statement issued by the Director of Media and Publicity, Steve Otaloro, described the allegation that party members had prior knowledge of the judgment as “an unfortunate comment that constitutes an unwarranted attack on the integrity of Nigeria’s judicial system.”
The APC, however, described the insinuations from Ajayi as not only undermining the hard work and dedication of the judiciary but also disrespect the democratic process that the electorate engaged in during the recent governorship election.
“We call on the PDP to tender an unreserved apology to the Nigerian judiciary and to the thousands of voters who participated in the election, which culminated in an unprecedented and overwhelming victory for Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa.
“It is evident that the PDP’s disappointment stems from their inability to secure a favourable verdict, a result they had hoped would allow them to usurp the mandate given to the APC by the electorate.
“Their claims of judicial challenges are nothing more than a reaction to their electoral loss, revealing a pattern of behaviour where the PDP only praises the judiciary when it aligns with their interests.
“Had the verdict favoured them, they would have undoubtedly lauded the very system they now seek to vilify,” the ruling party stated.