Supreme Court Upholds Makinde’s Election as Oyo Governor

Posted by African Examiner Featured, Latest Headlines, News Wednesday, December 18th, 2019

(AFRICAN EXAMINER) – The Supreme Court has upheld the election of Mr Oluseyi Makinde as the duly elected Governors of Oyo state.

A seven-man panel of the apex court led by Justice Mary Peter-Odili, Wednesday unanimously affirmed Mr. Makinde as the duly elected Governor of Oyo State.

In the summary of the lead judgment, Justice Ejembi upheld Makinde’s appeal and overturned the November 11, 2019 judgment of the Ibadan Division of the Court of Appeal which had partially ruled in favour of the opposition All Progressives Congress (APC) and its candidate, Mr Adebayo Adelabu.

Recall, the splinter ruling was four against one.

In contrary, the apex court upheld the judgment of the Oyo State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal which had previously declared Makinde and his ruling party, the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), the winner of the poll.

“After going through the briefs of arguments, I find merit in this appeal. The judgment of the lower court is mainly based on perversity. The majority judgment is hereby set aside.

“The minority judgment/decision of the lower court represents a more sober reflection on the issues’’ the court ruled.

While the hearing lasted, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had filed a separate appeal while Adelabu and PDP filed another one.

Still, the apex court held that its decision on Makinde’s appeal would be binding on all the other appeals filed in respect of the Oyo State governorship election.