By: Òtuńba Oláídé Ęmíola Òshífęsò.
The Five Justices panel of the Supreme Court of Nigeria has unanimously sustained the INEC result of the election of Prince Dapo Abiodun as Ogun State Governor to serve the Ogun electorates and the teeming public that repose confidence of second term mandate of office in him.
In the unanimous judgment delivered on Friday 19 January, 2023 by lead Justice Tijjani Abubakar, who led the five-member panel, dismissed the appeal filed by Ladi Adebutu, governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2023 governorship election.
Justice Tijani Abubakar ably stated thus: “In the end, this appeal is unmeritorious and deserves to be dismissed. It is hereby dismissed.”
In March 2023, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declared Prince Dapo Abiodun winner of the 2023 Ogun State governorship election with 276,298 votes, while Ladi Adebutu of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) scored 262,382 and Biyi Otegbeye of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) emerged third with 94,754 votes.
The PDP and Ladi Adebutu petitioned the Election Tribunal, alleging that Governor Dapo Abiodun was short of the valid majority votes cast in the March 18, 2023 Ogun State governorship election.
The petitioners threw tantrums at INEC alleging that INEC failed to comply with the Electoral Act and indulged in corrupt practices during the election.
The petitioners also alleged that elections were disrupted by thugs in over 99 polling units around the State, thereby disenfranchising over 40,000 electorates to cast their votes.
In September 2023, the Election Tribunal dismissed the petition of ‘Ladi Adebutu of PDP and affirmed ‘Dapo Abiodun’s election as valid.
Dissatisfied wirh the Election Tribunal’s ruling, Ladi Adebutu filed an appeal against the Tribunal’s judgment as a shortcut to gain merit.
However in November 2023, the Appeal Court, in a split decision, dismissed the petition filed by Ladi Adebutu and affirmed Dapo Abiodun’s election as true.
The verdict of the Supreme Court of Nigeria as the highest court of the land to adjudicate on the case and on any other, proves that Nigeria Judiciary is meritorious and reliable in its dispensation of justice.
The grand conquerors of the All Progressive Congress-APC Ogun State chapter that fought this battle of wits alongside Governor Dapo Abiodun to retain the sanctity of the Ogun electorates’mandate are hereby congratulated on their conquest.
Omo Ogun Ise Ya! Igbega Ipinle Ogun Ajumose Gbogbo Wa Ni O!
