Ondo governorship tussle: Anxiety as no date is fixed for Appeal Court judgment…48 hrs to deadline

THERE is anxiety in Ondo State with only 48 hours to the deadline for the delivery of judgment by the Appeal Court on the election petition on the last governorship race in the state.

There is no notice yet from the court on when it will hand down its verdict on the appeal filed by the candidate of the Action Congress of Nigeria [ACN], Mr Oluwarotimi Akeredolu [SAN], and his party against the judgment of State Governorship Election Tribunal which upheld Governor Olusegun Mimiko’s election. The court has 60 days, according to the 1999 Constitution, to deliver judgment on appeals arising from governorship elections disputes. In the case of the Akeredolu appeal, Monday, July 1, is the last day allowed by the constitution for the court to rule. The same day is the deadline for the delivery of judgment by the court on the appeal filed by the PDP candidate in the election, Chief Olusola Oke. At press time, counsel to the litigants in the case had not been notified by the court on when judgment will be delivered. While supporters of the ruling Labour Party (LP) are celebrating that the PDP and ACN are close to losing the case finally by Monday if judgment is not delivered by then, those of ACN and PDP have been holding consultations on the way out. The Court of Appeal sitting in Akure on Tuesday heard all parties to the appeal and reserved judgment for a date to be communicated to parties. By the rules of Court of Appeal, all parties to the appeal ought to have been notified by yesterday if judgment would be delivered on Monday. However, findings by our correspondent at the Court of Appeal registry yesterday showed that no date had been fixed for judgment.