Ayodeji O. Ayobami
IBADAN – The Supreme Court today Wednesday 18th December, 2019 declared Engr. Seyi Makinde of the People’s Democratic Party winner of the Oyo State Gubernatorial election.
Tropic Reporters earlier reported on Monday 11th November, 2019 that an appeal court made a confusing judgement as both the ruling Peoples Democratic Party and the opposition All Progressives Congress claimed victory after the justices ruled that the appeal by the candidate of the APC, Mr Bayo Adelabu, “subsists.”
The court also set aside the judgment delivered by the Election Petitions’ Tribunal that upheld the election of Makinde as declared by the Independent National Electoral Commission.
It ordered that the status quo before the tribunal’s judgment should remain, saying that it would have ordered a retrial at the tribunal if not for the time limit of 180 days for the tribunal.
After the judgement declaration, The lead counsel for Makinde, Eyitayo Jegede (SAN), told journalists , “there is no implication on the return and declaration of Seyi Makinde as the governor of Oyo State.”
Also in his reaction, the counsel for Adelabu and the APC, Adeboye Shobanjo, said, “In totality, the appeal was allowed, but my lord said that because of the effusion of time, they could not order for the retrial of the case.”
But today, 18th, December 2019, the Supreme Court has in detailed explained and interpreted the Appeal court judgement and upheld Seyi Makinde of the PDP the winner of the Oyo State Gubernatorial election.
