The Supreme Court has re-affirmed Dapo Abiodun as the duly elected Governor of Ogun State, solidifying the results of the Governorship poll held on March 18th.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had initially declared Dapo Abiodun, the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), as the winner with 276,298 votes, triumphing over his closest rival, Oladipupo Adebutu of the People's Democratic Party (PDP), who secured 262,383 votes.
Expressing dissatisfaction with the outcome, Adebutu and the PDP sought redress through the tribunal. However, the tribunal unanimously dismissed the petition, citing it as "incompetent, defective, disjunctive, and lacking in merits."
Undeterred, Adebutu pursued an appeal, challenging the tribunal's decision. In a 2-1 decision, the Appellate Court upheld the tribunal's ruling, rejecting Adebutu's plea for a reversal.
The dissenting judgment raised concerns about INEC's declaration of Abiodun as the winner, pointing out that, according to the margin of lead, the number of cancelled votes surpassed the victory margin.
Justice Tijjani Abubakar JSC, in upholding the decisions of the lower courts, emphasized that the appellants failed to meet the burden of proof required in challenging the election results.
This Supreme Court verdict brings finality to the electoral dispute, affirming Dapo Abiodun's legitimacy as the Governor of Ogun State. As the legal proceedings conclude, attention now turns to the continued governance and development of Ogun State under Abiodun's leadership. Stay tuned for further updates on political developments and judicial decisions.
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