PDP's Oluyede Drops Petition Against Governor Oyebanji's Win in Ekiti Election

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate in the June 20 governorship election in Ekiti State, Wole Oluyede, has officially withdrawn his petition from the Election Petition Tribunal. This petition challenged the re-election of Governor Biodun Oyebanji of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

During the tribunal's first meeting in Ado-Ekiti, the state capital, the judges struck out the petition. This followed the motion filed by Oluyede before the three-member panel led by Abubakar Idris Kutigi. Other panel members include Aminu Tukur and Maurice Okediya.

Paul Komolafe, the lawyer for the PDP and Oluyede, moved the motion to withdraw the petition. The lawyers for Mr Oyebanji and the APC, Onyechi Ikpeazu (SAN), and the lawyer for the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Sulaiman Ibrahim, did not oppose the withdrawal.

Mr Oyebanji was declared the winner of the Ekiti governorship election by INEC after receiving 319,224 votes. Oluyede got 40,543 votes, while Dare Bejide of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) came third with 12,872 votes.

After the tribunal struck out his petition, Oluyede spoke to journalists. He said he made this choice based on requests from people he called “important people” and out of respect for President Bola Tinubu. He added that following his victory, Mr Oyebanji reached out to him with a gesture of friendship.

Oluyede expressed his willingness to work with the governor to ensure a big win for President Tinubu in the upcoming presidential election in Ekiti. He said, “My decision (to withdraw the petition) was based on the fact that what Ekiti and Nigeria need now is to seek the way forward. It’s not easy to withdraw your petition when you know you have a case but I took the action at the request of people who are important to me, I mean the President and several advisers.

“They have all asked me to withdraw the matter and advised that everybody should come together and let the president win the next election and bring Ekiti forward. We have a lot of things to do in Ekiti and it will take the efforts of everybody. It shouldn’t be a partisan thing.

“I am a member of PDP and remain a member of PDP and we have an election in January for President Tinubu. The governor too has extended a hand of friendship across to me and we will work together when the election comes and see how things go. It’s just for the betterment of Ekiti and Nigeria,” Oluyede stated.