On September 30th, the tribunal responsible for handling election petitions for governorship will make its decision regarding the case concerning Oladipupo Adebutu, the PDP candidate for governor, and his petition against Governor Dapo Abiodun from the All Progressives Congress.
Legal representatives from both sides have been informed of the judgment. During the election, Mr Abiodun received 276,298 votes, while Mr Adebutu received 262,383.
In a petition with reference number EPT/OG/GOV/03/2023, Mr Adebutu challenged the win of the current governor by alleging non-compliance with the Electoral Act and election malpractice.
Goddy Uche, Mr Adebutu’s counsel, presented evidence contained in Ghana-must-go bags to the tribunal at the Magistrates’ Court in Isabo, Abeokuta. This was in response to the court’s pre-hearing instruction that both parties should present their case documents.
Mr Uche said that he had served the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Mr Abiodun and APC, being the first, second and third respondents, respectively, with the 98-page schedule of documents.
He added that he had also listed all the tendered documents, including INEC forms, ECAs, voters’ registers, and printed IREV results before the court.
In March, Mr Adebutu said he was confident the tribunal would overturn the victory handed to Governor Dapo Abiodun by INEC.
Mr Adebutu also described the Ogun governorship election as the worst in the history of the country’s democracy.
“What I saw in the elections is the politics of intimidation, harassment and subversion. It was the first time in the history of our democracy that people were harassed, intimidated and threatened not to come out to vote,” Mr Adebutu alleged.
He added, “Lots of injustice was perpetrated. I feel very aggrieved because we saw lots of inconsistencies. We are law-abiding; before they (INEC) made that declaration, we informed them. We petitioned them to show that that declaration was wrongful.”
Peoples Gazette reported Mr Abiodun’s plot to get Mr Adebutu off his back and concede defeat.
To plead his cause, Mr Abiodun dispatched the Akarigbo of Remo, Babatunde Ajayi, and other traditional chiefs from the state to London to meet with Kesington Adebutu, the PDP candidate’s father, hoping to broker a peace accord that will end in the termination of the legal battle, multiple sources familiar with the matter told The Gazette.
The Akarigbo was joined on the trip by Asiwaju Solomon Onafowokan, chairman of Coleman Cable; Otunba Tunji Lawal-Solarin, chairman of Remo Growth and Development Foundation; Adewale Osiberu, Elepe of Epe; and Timothy Adesanya, Ewusi of Makun, The Gazette learnt.