A petition filed by the Action Alliance challenging the victory of Governor Seyi Makinde in the March 18 governorship election, was on Friday, June 2, dismissed by the Gubernatorial Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Ibadan, Oyo State.
The three-member panel of the court led by Justice Ejiron Emudainohwo dismissed the case after the petitioner’s lawyer, Etibo King, announced the withdrawal of the petition.
Other members of the tribunal who sat in Ibadan, the state capital are Justices Baraka Wali and I. S. Galadima.
Recall that Makinde was declared the winner of the gubernatorial election held on Saturday, 18th March 2023 but Action Alliance and its candidate approached the tribunal and called for the cancellation of the election result owing to the alleged exclusion of the name of its candidate.
Etibo Orowo King, counsel to Babatunde Ajala, governorship candidate of the Action Alliance (AA) on said;
“My prayer is for the cancellation of the result of the election. But, further reevaluation, we decided to discontinue the case in the interest of peace and tranquility”.
He urged the tribunal to strike out the case in the interest of the state.
Counsel to the governor who is the second respondent, Kunle Kalejaye (SAN) in his presentation then urged the tribunal to dismiss the case.
“The petitioner asked that the case be struck out. We want the base to be dismissed. It is a petition that is dead on arrival, the Counsel said.l”
The tribunal led by Emudainohwu then dismissed the case.
The tribunal then awarded a sum of N100,000 in favour of first respondent (Independent National Electoral Commission), a sum of N250,000 in favour of the second respondent (Governor Makinde) and a sum of N250,000 in favour of the third respondent (Peoples Democratic Party)
