Tribunal upholds Makinde’s re-election as Oyo governor

The governorship election petition tribunal in Ibadan, Oyo state capital, has upheld the re-election of Seyi Makinde as the governor of the state.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declared Makinde, candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), as the winner of the election held on March 18.

He secured 563,756 votes to win in 31 of the 33 local government areas in the state, while Teslim Folarin of the All Progressives Congress (APC) came second with 256,685 votes.

Adebayo Adelabu of the Accord Party (AP) came a distant third with 38,357 votes.

However, Babatunde Ajala, governorship candidate of the Action Alliance (AA), had challenged Makinde’s victory.

Ajala, in his petition, named INEC as the first respondent, while Makinde and the PDP were the second and third respondents respectively.

A three-member panel of the court, led by Ejiron Emudainohwo, while delivering judgment on Friday, June 2, dismissed Ajala’s petition.

The tribunal also awarded a cost of N600,000 against the AA gubernatorial candidate, N100,000 in favour of INEC, and N250,000 each in favour of Makinde and the PDP respectively.