Ekiti poll: Gov. Oyebanji Defeats Oni at tribunal

The Social Democratic Party (SDP) candidate in the June 18 governorship election in Ekiti, Segun Oni, on Wednesday lost his bid to unseat Governor Biodun Oyebanji of the All Progressives Congress (APC)

The State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal struck out Oni’s petition for lacking in merit.

Oni had petitioned the tribunal following the declaration of Oyebanji of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as winner by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

The SDP candidate urged the court to declare him the authentic winner, saying he scored the highest number of lawful and valid votes.

But, a member of the three-member panel, Justice Zaad Zadawa, affirmed Oyebanji’s victory.

He held that INEC was in order to have declared him as the winner as he was duly elected by the majority votes.

Justice Zadawa declared that Oni and his party failed to prove beyond reasonable doubt that the June 18 governorship election was marred by vote buying and electoral malpractices.

(Nation)