Governor Rotimi Akeredolu has urged the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party in the October 20, 2020 governorship election, Eyitayo Jegede, to shun litigation following the validation of his victory at the tribunal.
Describing Jegede as his “brother”, Akeredolu said it is time to unite and build the state.
The Ondo State Election Petition Tribunal earlier today struck out the petition filed by Jegede against the victory of Governor Akeredolu.
Jegede had approached the tribunal seeking the nullification of Akeredolu as the winner of the election on the ground of irregularities and invalid nomination of Akeredolu as the flagbearer of the All Progressives Congress, for the election.
However, a three-man panel led by Justice Umar Abubakar dismissed all the grounds of the PDP candidate’s petition for lack of merit.
In his reaction, Governor Akeredolu said the victory was for the people of the state, calling on his opponent to join hands with him to work for the state.
He said, “I must use this opportunity to thank the people of this state for the confidence they reposed in us. The people have spoken and they cannot be wrong. The result is there for all of us to see. It is a victory for all time and it has never happened in this state before, but we thank God for this victory. We thank God for the judgment of the tribunal.
“I want to thank my brother, Eyitayo Jegede, who is not just a brother but also my learned brother. He is somebody I respect a lot and he knows that; I see him as a friend. I want to call on him and implore him, let us join hands together, there is no need for litigation.
“I don’t see anything in it, let us all join hands together to build this state together. There is room for many and more, and I believe that we can join hands together and work together to build the state. He loves the state and I don’t doubt it as a gentleman par excellence.
“I don’t see this as any victory: no victor, no vanquished, it is just for us as contestants. Just like a game: you win some, you lose some; you can’t win them all. We thank God today that we are victorious.
“It was not just a victory, it was a double victory. We had people who went to court, about seven political parties against us at the Federal High Court, the case too was dismissed. There is no other thing, all I can say to you is that it is not me, it is not us; it is God, I give God all the glory. To God be the glory.”
