…As Panel Continues Sitting on Monday
Ekiti State Governor, Mr Biodun Oyebanji has formulated six issues for determination before the Election Petition Tribunal hearing the petitions arising from the June 20 governorship election in the state.
Oyebanji who was the candidate of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) was declared winner of the June 20 election by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) after polling 319,224 votes.
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, Dr Oluwole Oluyede garnering 40,543 votes to come second while African Democratic Congress (ADC) candidate, Chief Dare Bejide came third with 12,872 votes.
Two petitions were filed by Social Democratic Party (SDP) and Action Alliance (AA) before a three-member panel of the Tribunal chaired by Justice Abubakar Kutigi which continues its sitting in Ado Ekiti, the state capital, on Monday.
The SDP candidate, Adebayo Alade, polled a total of 179 votes while the AA candidate, Olu Omotoso, obtained 126 votes at the governorship election. The PDP candidate Oluyede has withdrawn his petition before the Tribunal.
Governor Oyebanji in a bid to solidify his defence has put forward six issues before the three-member jury for determination in the course of the trial of the two petitions by the opposition parties and their candidates.
The six issues formulated by Oyebanji for the SDP petition are as follows:
*Whether the Petition is not incompetent in view of its gross violation of the Electoral Act 2026 and other fundamental defects there to.
*Whether the Petition is not incompetent for non-joinder of the APC as a necessary party in the Petition.
*Whether the Petitioners have proved that the election of the 2nd Respondent (Oyebanji) was invalid by reason of non-compliance with the provision of the Electoral Act 2026.
*Whether the Petitioners have proved that the election of the 2nd Respondent (Oyebanji) was invalid by reason of corrupt practices.
*Having regard to the evidence before the Tribunal, whether the Petitioners proved that the 2nd Respondent (Oyebanji) was not elected by a majority of lawful votes cast at the election; and
*Whether the Petitioners in the current circumstances of the petition filed by SDP, proved that the 2nd Petitioner (Alade) is entitled to be returned as the duly-elected Governor of Ekiti State, following the Ekiti State governorship election held on 20th day of June, 2026.
Five issues were formulated for determination in the petition filed by AA and they are all similar to the first five issues in the SDP petition.
The papers conveying the governor’s issues for determination were signed by his team of lawyers led by Dr Onyechi Ikpeazu SAN.
However, the SDP is expected to open its case on Monday by calling its witnesses to give evidence before the Tribunal.
