The Governorship Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, on Monday upheld the election of Mr. Seyi Makinde as the duly elected Governor the state.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), had in March declared Makinde declared Makinde as the winner of the gubernatorial election held on Saturday, 9th March 2019.

Dissatisfied with the outcome of the election, the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Mr. Adebayo Adelabu decided to challenge Makinde’s victory at the tribunal.

He asked the court to annul the election result.

But, in an unanimous judgment delivered on Monday by Justice Sirajo Muhammed on behalf of the three-member panel, the tribunal Dismissed the petition, saying the Adelabu could not prove his case beyond reasonable doubt.

The tribunal averred that the petitioners, Chief Bayo Adelabu and the APC failed to prove the allegation of corrupt practices, over-voting, improper accreditation, inaccurate ballot counting and non-compliance with the 2010 Electoral Act (as amended).

Reacting, one of the counsels to Adelabu, Akin Oladeji said that he and his learned colleagues would study the full judgement to know the next step to after speaking with the gubernatorial candidate, Adelabu.

“Until we study the full judgment, then, we will know the next line of action, this judgment has just been delivered, and we need to look at everything which the court has decided and see whether to take it further,” he said.

Meanwhile, the Chairman of PDP in the state, Alhaji Kunmi Mustapha, lauded the judges for putting honesty, justice and fear of God above any other imperatives in carrying out their professional callings.

Mustapha in a statement released by the Publicity Secretary of PDP in Oyo State, Engineer Akeem Olatunji, congratulated Makinde for what he described as resounding victory at the election petition tribunal.

He added that the judiciary should be commended for upholding the wishes of the people as demonstrated by the pattern of voting in the last gubernatorial election by declaring Engr Seyi Makinde as the winner.