EKITI GOVERNORSHIP: PDP’s Kolapo loses at Supreme Court

The Ekiti State chapter of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its governorship candidate, Olusola Kolapo have again lost the bid to reclaim the seat of the state’s governor, Kayode Fayemi as the Supreme Court on Friday dismissed their appeal.

The election which was conducted on July 14, 2018, was won by APC candidate, Kayode Fayemi who is now the state governor.

In the ruling given by a five-man panel of the Supreme Court, led by the Acting Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN) Justice Tanko Mohammed, the court unanimously held that the appeal challenging the outcome of the poll lacked merit.

While reading the ruling, Justice John Okoro, upheld the judgments of both the Ekiti State Election Petition Tribunal and the Abuja Division of the Court of Appeal.

Read also: Supreme Court sacks all APC Candidates-elect in Zamfara State

Recall that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had declared that Fayemi and the APC polled a total of 197,459 votes to defeat Olusola-Eleka and the PDP who placed second with 178,121.

Following this, PDP and Kolapo  decided to contest the declaration, stating that the election was marred by electoral malpractices.

But the tribunal on January 28, 2019, dismissed their petition and affirmed the results declared by INEC.

The petitioners further appealed to the Appellate Court, where Justice Stephen Adah dismissed the case for lacking in merit, a decision agreed by other members of the panel – Justices Tinuade Akomolafe-Wilson and Emmanuel Agim.

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