Anxiety over Supreme Court’s judgement on Ondo election

[Mirror]

Anxiety mounted within the major three political parties in Ondo State yesterday as the people of the state await the judgement of the Supreme Court over the last governorship election in the state.

The judgement was the only topic on the lips of people of the state as everyone awaits the decision of the Supreme Court on the appeal brought before it by the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, and the proscribed Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN, Olusola Oke and Rotimi Akeredolu.

The duo are challenging the decision of the lower tribunal in the state governorship election, saying that the election that produced Governor Olusegun Mimiko, was fraught with irregularities.

The lower tribunal had earlier pronounced Mimiko the winner of the election for lack of concrete evidence from the two plaintiffs and their parties.

However, as the Supreme Court is to deliver judgment today in the appeal, members and supporters of the three political parties expressed optimism over the possible outcome of the judgement.

Some leaders of the political parties in the state jetted out of the state yesterday to Abuja to witness the final judgement.

In Akure, the state capital, politicians gather in groups to discuss where the pendulum will swing.

While the Labour Party, LP, leaders are optimistic that the appeal will be thrown into the trash bin, the defunct ACN and PDP believed the table will be turned against LP and the governor of the state.

Meanwhile, the Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to Olusola Oke, Kunle Adebayo, expressed optimism that PDP will have a good story to tell today.

Adebayo said; "All eyes are on the Supreme Court to determine whether a distorted and illegally overloaded voters' register can be a basis for a valid election but we believe justice would be served.

"We believe we have presented our case as eloquently and as necessary. Our expectation is that the decision of the Court of Appeal will be upturned and that the October 20, election will be nullified.

"We believe the Supreme Court judgement will also serve as deterrence to those whose penchant is to perpetrate rigging and manipulation.

"This judgment also will become novel and have a far reaching implication on the 2015 elections in this country," he said.

National Mirror