THE Supreme Court has dismissed the appeal filed by the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2023 governorship election, Ladi Adebutu, challenging the election of Ogun state Governor Dapo Abiodun.
In the judgment passed on Friday, January 19, by a five-member panel of the court’s justices, led by Tijjani Abubakar, the court described the appeal as ‘unmeritorious.’
“In the end, this appeal is unmeritorious and deserves to be dismissed. It is hereby dismissed,” Abubakar held.
The ICIR reports that Adebutu contended that Abiodun’s election did not comply with the electoral laws and requested the court to declare his victory null and void.
In March 2023, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declared Abiodun, the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), the poll winner.
Abiodun got 13,915 votes to extend his tenure as the state governor for a second and final term of four years.
Declaring Abiodun winner, the returning officer for the state governorship poll, Kayode Adebowale, who is vice Chancellor of the University of Ibadan, said the governor polled 276,298 to edge PDP’s Adebutu who scored 262,383 votes.
Unsatisfied by the ruling, the PDP and its candidate sought redress in the state election tribunal and subsequently at the Court of Appeal in Lagos state.
However, on Friday, November 24, the Appeal Court declared Abiodun the March 18 governorship election winner in a split – two-to-one – decision.
In the majority judgment delivered by Joseph Ikyegh, the appellate court rejected the appeal filed by Adebutu, the PDP candidate.
Usman Mustapha is a solution journalist with International Centre for Investigative Reporting. You can easily reach him via: umustapha@icirnigeria.com. He tweets @UsmanMustapha_M