Ekiti Election: Governor Oyebanji Challenges SDP and AA Petitions at Tribunal

Ekiti State Governor, Biodun Oyebanji, has raised six issues for the Election Petition Tribunal. This tribunal is reviewing the petitions from the June 20 governorship election in the state.

His lawyers, led by Onyechi Ikpeazu, SAN, signed the documents listing these issues.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) announced that Mr Oyebanji, from the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), won the election with 319,224 votes.

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, Oluwole Oluyede, came second with 40,543 votes. The African Democratic Congress (ADC) candidate, Dare Bejide, was third with 12,872 votes.

Earlier, PREMIUM TIMES reported that Mr Oluyede withdrew his petition against the governor’s re-election at the tribunal.

But the Social Democratic Party (SDP) and Action Alliance (AA) still have their petitions before the three-member panel led by Abubakar Kutigi.

The tribunal will continue its sitting on Monday in Ado Ekiti, the state capital.

In the election, the SDP candidate, Adebayo Alade, received only 179 votes. The AA candidate, Olu Omotoso, got 126 votes.

Mr Oyebanji presented six issues to support his defense in the tribunal.

The six issues raised by the governor regarding the SDP petition are:

*Is the petition invalid due to major violations of the Electoral Act 2026 and other serious defects?
*Is the petition invalid because the APC was not included as a necessary party?
*Did the petitioners show that the election of the 2nd Respondent (Oyebanji) was invalid due to non-compliance with the Electoral Act 2026?
*Did the petitioners prove that the election of the 2nd Respondent (Oyebanji) was invalid because of corrupt practices?
*Based on the evidence, did the petitioners show that the 2nd Respondent (Oyebanji) did not win a majority of lawful votes?
*Considering the current petition, did the petitioners prove that the 2nd petitioner (Alade) should be declared the duly elected Governor of Ekiti State from the June 20, 2026, election?

For the AA’s petition, five similar issues were also raised.

The SDP plans to start its case on Monday by calling witnesses to testify in front of the tribunal.