A chieftain of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in Ondo State, Engr. Ogunwa Niyi-Oboli, has said that Ondo State Election Petition Tribunal erred in its judgement to have declared candidate of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Albert Akintoye, winner of February 23, 2019 House of Representatives Election in Okitipupa/Irele Federal Constituency after nullifying the victory of the candidate of the People Democratic Party (PDP), Ikengboju Gboluga, on the ground of eligibility.
The three-man Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Akure, Ondo State Capital, on Wednesday, nullified the election of Hon. Ikengboju Gboluga, representing Okitipupa/Irele Federal constituency in the federal House of Representatives under the platform of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) for having dual citizenship.
The three-man panel headed by Justice Nuhu Adi, also declared Albert Akintoye of the All Progressives Congress (APC) winner of the election, and ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to issue Certificate of Return to Akintoye after withdrawing same from Gboluga.
Reacting to the Tribunal’s judgement, the PDP’s chieftain, Oboli, while disagreeing with the judgement which was based on dual citizenship, also said, the mandate was given to both PDP and its candidate, he noted that the tribunal erred to have given the victory of the party to another political party and its Candidate, who both lost gallantly to the PDP at the poll with over 11,000 votes.
He therefore call on the leadership of the party to assemble some legal experts to review the judgement and take necessary steps to stop the APC from coming through the back door to steal the People’s mandate which was not given to them at the poll but freely given to PDP and its candidate.
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