Ondo poll: Ajayi approaches tribunal to challenge Aiyedatiwa’s victory
The candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party in the November 16 governorship election in Ondo State, Agboola Ajayi on Monday said he had filed a petition at the Ondo State Election Petition Tribunal against the victory of Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa.
This development came 24 days after the governorship poll.
The Independent National Electoral Commission declared Aiyedatiwa of the All Progressives Congress as the winner of the election, having polled a total of 366,781 votes to defeat his closest rival, Ajayi, who had 117,845 votes.
Speaking with journalists at the PDP Secretariat, Akure, the state capital, Ajayi disclosed that his legal team had filed the petition at the election tribunal, with the hope of getting justice from the court.
He, however, declined to mention the grounds of his petition.
Expressing his dissatisfaction at the outcome of the election, the PDP candidate described the election result as a “miscarriage of democracy.”
He said, “Since the election, our party has refrained from making public comments to allow time for a comprehensive review of the events that transpired on the election day. After careful analyses, we have come to express our gratitude to the people of Ondo State for their confidence in us and the maturity they displayed during the elections, despite provocations.
“We want to address certain misconceptions and allegations made against the electorate. There were accusations that our people sold their votes or were compromised. Let it be clear that the will of the people was not for sale. The sadness and disappointment witnessed after the election reflect their discontent with the outcome, which, we believe, was a miscarriage of democracy orchestrated by the Independent National Electoral Commission.
“Despite our previous warnings and even legal action to ensure neutrality within INEC, the institution, unfortunately, failed to act impartially. The election results, as declared, do not reflect the aspirations of the people of Ondo State. The declaration of Governor Aiyedatiwa as the winner by INEC was met with widespread dissatisfaction, as evident in the sober mood that followed.
“Our party has taken the lawful step of filing a petition at the electoral tribunal. While we will refrain from discussing the case in detail, I assure you that we remain committed to pursuing justice. Our people are educated, resilient and determined to see democracy upheld.”
To this end, the PDP candidate called on the National Assembly to amend the Electoral Act to ensure a transparent electoral process, complaining that the use of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System, as currently implemented, has been allegedly been exploited for manipulation.
Ajayi, who is a former deputy governor of the state, also expressed confidence in getting justice at the election petition tribunal.
“Despite concerns about the judiciary’s integrity, we maintain confidence in its ability to deliver justice. We are optimistic that the tribunal will fairly adjudicate our case. The judiciary remains a critical institution in preserving democracy, and we urge it to rise to this challenge.
“Ondo State deserves leaders chosen freely and fairly by the people. We are determined to restore the integrity of our democracy and ensure the people’s mandate is upheld,” he stated.
