Ekiti State Governor Biodun Oyebanji has welcomed the verdict of the Court of Appeal, which has upheld his election as governor of the state. In a statement released by his Special Adviser Media, Mr. Yinka Oyebode, the Governor described the verdict as a “victory for democracy and the people of the state.”
The Court of Appeal, Ado Ekiti Division, delivered the judgment virtually on Tuesday, dismissing the appeal of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) governorship candidate, Segun Oni, for lacking in substance. The court held that the respondents, Oyebanji and the deputy governor, Monisade Afuye, were duly elected as the governor and deputy governor of the state and that Oyebanji was lawfully nominated as the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Oni had approached the court of appeal after the Ekiti State Election Petition Tribunal dismissed his suit against Oyebanji’s election for failure to prove his case beyond a reasonable doubt. Following the dismissal of his appeal, Oni and the SDP have resolved to proceed to the Supreme Court to seek redress in the judgments of the tribunal and the appellate court.
Despite the ongoing legal battle, Oyebanji urged his supporters to celebrate in moderation and avoid any form of name-calling or hostility against members of the opposition party. He also commended the judiciary for the landmark judgment, saying that it is “a validation of what they did during the election.”
The Governor dedicated the victory to God and the people of Ekiti State who, he said, have continued to show tremendous support for the administration. He also called on APC members to march to the polling units on Saturday, February 25, determined to vote for Asiwaju Bola Tinubu and all APC candidates.
The verdict of the Court of Appeal is likely to have significant implications for the political landscape of Ekiti State, with the SDP and other opposition parties likely to reassess their positions in light of the ruling
