Mixed reactions as court sacks Senate spokesman Adeyeye

By Emmanuel Oladesu, AbdulGafar Alabelewe, Kaduna and Rasaq Ibrahim, Ado-Ekiti

Ekiti State chapters of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and main opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) yesterday expressed mixed reactions to the Appeal Court judgment sacking Senate spokesman Dayo Adeyeye.

While the main opposition hailed the Judiciary for upholding the victory of its candidate, the ruling party described it as a travesty of justice.

The Kaduna Division of the Court of Appeal nullified the election of Senator Adeyeye.

The appellate court upheld the tribunal judgment which declared Senator Biodun Olujimi and candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) the winner of the Ekiti South senatorial election on February 23.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had declared Adeyeye of the All Progressive Congress (APC) the winner of the election.

Mrs Olujimi challenged the result of the election at the tribunal on the grounds that she scored the highest number of lawful votes cast.

In her written address, the petitioner claimed that the election was not conducted in substantial compliance with the provisions of the Electoral Acts, having been allegedly fraught with irregularities.

The tribunal nullified election in some polling units and declared Mrs Olujimi the authentic winner of the poll.

Dissatisfied with the tribunal judgment, Adeyeye and APC filed a petition at the Appeal Court, asking it to set aside the ruling of the tribunal.

Delivering a unanimous judgment yesterday at the appellate court in Kaduna State, Justice Uzor Anyanwu upheld the judgment of the tribunal and ordered INEC to issue a fresh Certificate of Return to Mrs Olujimi.

The PDP said yesterday that the judgment of the tribunal and the Appeal Court did not come as a surprise as the result declared by the INEC did not reflect the true votes cast.

But APC said Adeyeye’s sack from the Senate amounted to truncating the people’s wish.

A statement by Ekiti PDP’s Publicity Secretary Jackson Adebayo berated INEC for allegedly colluding with the APC to steal what it called the mandate given to Mrs Olujimi and the PDP without minding the democratic consequences on the nation.

“We congratulate all members of our party in the state and particularly congratulate Senator Olujimi for her courage to fight the battle to a victorious logical conclusion,” the statement said.

The state APC Director of Media and Publicity, Elder Sam Oluwalana, urged the people not to be discouraged by the Appeal Court verdict.

“We commend Prince Dayo Adeyeye, who was highly revered by his colleagues in the Upper Chambers, for the exemplary leadership he exhibited within the short period he spent in the Senate. We are proud of his achievements during the period, as he was able to manage information outflow without any scandal in the Senate,” the statement said.

Read Also: APC, PDP disagree as Appeal Court sacks Senate Spokesman, declares Olujimi

There was jubilation yesterday among Ekiti State PDP members.

Many party followers thronged the secretariat on Ikere Road, Ado-Ekiti, the state capital, to rejoice with the former deputy governor.

Also, townspeople stormed her home at Omuo-Ekiti, singing party songs and dancing.

PDP Board of Trustees (BoT) member Bisi Kolawole, a former Environment Commissioner, said the verdict showed that the party will bounce back as a formidable opposition in the state.