Exactly 20 days after the governorship election in Ogun State, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate Oladipupo Adebutu filed a petition before the Election Petitions Tribunal seeking an order declaring him the winner. The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had declared All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate Governor Dapo Abiodun the victor, with 276,298 votes to Adebutu’s 262,383. Adebutu, accompanied by his legal team member Gordy Uche, SAN, and party chieftains, stormed the tribunal secretariat at the Isabo Magistrate Court premises in Abeokuta and submitted voluminous copies of the petition. In the filing, Adebutu and the PDP are listed as the first and second petitioners, while INEC, Abiodun, and the APC are the first, second, and third respondents respectively.
Speaking to reporters, Adebutu said, “We are here today in continuation of the pursuit of our democratic rights because we have had elections that we truly believe we have represented the people fairly and the people have responded by voting fairly for us in an election we believe we won. We will continue to seek out mandate within the ambit of the law.” His lawyer, Uche, explained that the petition was filed on “four solid grounds” and expressed confidence that the tribunal would render a just decision. He noted that the legal team includes three senior advocates and many other lawyers who are motivated not merely by payment but by a belief that the mandate was stolen and can be recovered. Uche added, “Our prayers are just that the right thing is done and the man who won is given the mantle of the office.”
The petition seeks several remedies. Primarily, Adebutu asks the tribunal to declare that he “won the highest number of valid votes cast at the election, satisfied the requirements of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, and ought to be returned as the winner of the governorship election held in Ogun State on 18 March 2023.” In the alternative, he requests an order directing INEC to conduct fresh elections in 99 polling units across 41 wards and 16 local government areas where voting was not held or was cancelled due to disruption and over‑voting.
Specific prayers include: (a) a declaration that the second respondent (Abiodun) was not qualified to contest; (b) an order disqualifying the second respondent as a candidate; (c) a finding that all votes for the second and third respondents are wasted and invalid; (d) a declaration that the second respondent was not duly elected by a majority of lawful votes; (e) a declaration that the first petitioner won the highest number of valid votes and should be returned as governor; (f) setting aside the Certificate of Return dated 20 March 2023 wrongly issued to the second respondent; (g) directing INEC to issue a Certificate of Return to the first petitioner; (h) ordering fresh elections in the 99 affected polling units; (i) ordering fresh elections for the governorship excluding the second and third respondents; and (j) any further appropriate consequential relief the tribunal deems fit.
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