From Oluseye Ojo, Ibadan
The Governorship Election Petition Tribunal, sitting in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, has upheld the re-election of Governor Seyi Makinde of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state as declared by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) following the March 18 governorship election.
The tribunal in a unanimous ruling on Friday, read by Justice Ejiron Emudainohwo, and supported by Justices Baraka Wali, and I.S. Galadima, dismissed the petition filed by the AA governorship candidate, Babatunde Ajala, and awarded a cost of N600, 000 against him. But there was a mild drama, which preceded the delivery of the ruling. It was argument for the amendment of the Electoral Act to reflect a threshold of minimum votes that a candidate in an election must score before he or she could raise a petition against the winner of the contest before election tribunals.
The tribunal awarded a cost of N100, 000 in favour of INEC, and N250, 000 each in favour of Governor Makinde and PDP.