The Supreme Court has reserved judgment in the Ekiti State governorship election petition filed by the All Progressives Congress (APC) challenging the victory of Governor Ayodele Fayose of Ekiti State in the last June 21 poll.
The APC went to the elections petition tribunal sitting in Ado-Ekiti to challenge Fayose’s victory on the grounds of non-eligibility following an indictment leading to his impeachment.
Fayose is being challenged for alleged perjury, after he filled his Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) form denying that he was indicted by either an administrative or judicial panel. A candidate convicted of perjury is barred by the law from contesting election.
The tribunal was relocated to Abuja after thugs invaded the premises of the tribunal where the State High Court was located.
A judge was allegedly beaten up and court records in the Chief Judge’s Office said to be torn. The chief judge’s secretary was also said to be beaten up.
The case was, however, dismissed at the election petitions tribunal. APC appealed the judgment but the Appeal Court upheld the decision of the tribunal.
It frowned at the deployment of the Army to harass members of the opposition and barred the President from deploying the Army in future elections.
The Appeal Court affirmed that Fayose was legally impeached in 2006, following his indictment in a N1.3 billion fraud case, among others.
A secretly recorded tape by Captain Sagir Koli has shown how the Army helped Fayose to win the election.
It also revealed Fayose talking about how he collected INEC soft copies and got them printed to aid his election.
The major prayer of the APC before the Supreme Court is that the former Governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, be declared as the duly elected governor of Ekiti State, having scored the majority of legal votes in the election and since Fayose was ineligible to contest.
The Supreme Court listened to the arguments of all parties in the suit and reserved judgment till April 14. – The Nation.
