Rasheed Ladoja: Accord Party candidate

The petition of Senator  Rashidi Ladoja,  the Accord Party’s candidate in the April 11 governorship election in the western Nigerian state of Oyo, challenging the victory of Governor  Abiola Ajimobi has not been dismissed by the tribunal.

Accord Party’s Director of Communication, Mr Dotun Oyelade, said this on Sunday while briefing newsmen in Ibadan, capital of the state.

Oyelade said the tribunal would soon communicate the date of the judgment to all the parties in the petition.

Ladoja had filed a petition challenging the declaration of Ajimobi of APC by INEC as the winner of the governorship election.

Governor Abiola Ajimobi

Oyelade stressed that the Court of Appeal that sat in Ibadan on Wednesday only affirmed the tribunal’s decision which dismissed the application by the petitioner.

He added that the petitioner had sought to submit the forensic report on the recounting of ballot papers.

“The ruling of the appellant court does not in any way affect the suit before the election tribunal as regards the election petition filed by Ladoja.

“The published stories negate what was reported by some sections of the media that the court has upheld Ajimobi’s election,” Oyelade stressed.

He also noted that some Accord Party members were attacked by APC agents after the appellant court ruling last week and called on security agents in the state to call the party to order.

“While we await the tribunal to announce the final judgment, we reiterate our trust in the tribunal to discharge its duties dispassionately because the members are men of honour,” he said.

He called on journalists to always refrain from publishing misleading and inaccurate information and to make prompt correction where such information had been inadvertently published.