JUST IN: Gov Akeredolu narrowly escapes sack as Supreme Court rules over his candidacy

Governor Rotimi Akeredolu on Wednesday narrowly escaped being sacked as the governor of Ondo State as three out of seven Supreme Court justices ruled against his candidacy.

With the Wednesday ruling, the governor has emerged victorious in the Supreme Court case challenging his victory in the October 10, 2020, Info State gubernatorial elections.

The majority decision delivered by Justice Emmanuel Agim upheld Akeredolu’s election on the grounds that the appeal by the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and its candidate Olutayo Jegede lacked merit.

Justice Agim held that this was because the appellants failed to include the Yobe State Governor, and chairman caretaker Committee of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Mai Mala Buni, as a party in the suit.

The majority decision agreed with that of the tribunal that the failure of the appellants to include Buni was fatal to their case.

READ ALSO: Appeal Court upholds Gov Akeredolu’s election

However, the minority judgment led by Justice Mary Peter-Odili, held that since APC was the principal, there was no need to join Buni in the suit.

Ripples Nigeria had reported that a Court of Appeal sitting in Akure, upheld the election of Akeredolu and his deputy, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, re-affirming that the case of the appellant, Eyitayo Jegede, lacks merit.

A five-man panel, led by Justice Theresa Orji-Abadua, had delivered the judgement at a virtual trial, dismissing the appeal of the PDP candidate in the election.

Justice Orji-Abadua had earlier ruled that the appeal lacked merit though some of the grounds were meritorious, dismissing grounds three and seven and partly allowed ground six of Jegede’s appeal.

Reacting to the judgment, the state Publicity Secretary of the APC, Mr. Alex Kalejaiye, said it was an affirmation of the people’s decision.

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