Adeyeye Vs Olujimi: What Happened In Appeal Court Today

Emmanuel AmudaOctober 24, 2019

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The Court of Appeal in Ado-Ekiti Division on Thursday reserved judgment on the petition filed by the All Progressives Congress Candidate, Prince Dayo Adeyeye challenging the decision of the election petition tribunal that declared the Peoples Democratic Party senatorial candidate, Senator Biodun Olujimi, ,in the Ekiti South Senatorial District as the winner.

Following the adoption of the written addresses of the two sides in the case, the three-member appeal court adjourned the matter for judgment till a date to be communicated to the parties through the registry of the court.

Adeyeye has filed an appeal against the verdict of the National Assembly Election Petition Tribunal declaring Senator Biodun Olujimi winner of the poll.

While Adeyeye ran on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Olujimi, the immediate past Senate Minority Leader, sought re-election on the platform of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP).

The three-member panel of the tribunal, led by Justice D.D. Adeck, in a judgment delivered on September 10, 2019, ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to withdraw the Certificate of Return given to Adeyeye and issue a fresh one to Olujimi.

The panel upheld Olujimi’s averments that there was no proper accreditation, no proper account of ballots and that the votes or ballots recorded are more or less than the number of accredited voters, among others.

After the tribunal deducted votes from what the two parties scored at the election, PDP was left with 54,894 and APC was credited with 52,243.

In the appeal filed at the appellate court, Adeyeye filed a 19-ground appeal against the judgment of the tribunal, which nullified his victory and declared Olujimi winner of the poll held on February 23, 2019.

The APC candidate also assembled a team of lawyers led by Mr. Dayo Akinlaja (SAN).

In the notice of appeal filed on Monday at the Ado-Ekiti Division of the Court of Appeal, Adeyeye is seeking two reliefs in his bid to upturn Olujimi’s victory at the tribunal.

The senator prayed the appellate court “to allow the appeal and set aside the declaration and return of Olujimi.”

The Senate spokesman urged the Court of Appeal to affirm his declaration and return by the INEC as the winner of the senatorial pollheld in the district on February 23, 2019.

Adeyeye, in his appeal, averred that the tribunal’s verdict was a miscarriage of justice and that votes cast for his party (APC) were wrongfully nullified by the panel to arrive at its conclusion.