Oyo State chairman of the Allied Peoples Movement (APM), Adegbenro Fagbemi, said the motion to withdraw the case filed by the party against the emergence of Engr. Seyi Makinde of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), as the governor of the State in the March 18, 2023 governorship election was the best decision the party could make.
He said on Monday, following the motion to withdraw the case moved by the party after the Governorship Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital.
The sitting was later adjourned till Thursday, July 13, 2023.
According to Fagbemi, the party’s state executive members were unaware of the case, as the national executive kept them in the dark until the suit was filed.
He said further, “Withdrawing the case against Governor Seyi Makinde is our best decision. The case was a bit funny and there was an executive override from our national headquarters to have instituted a case against the successful and most celebrated election of Governor Seyi Makinde in Oyo State.
“The executive override is that they did not carry Oyo State executive along and we had to mount pressure on them, and we thank God that the national secretary is here with me in court from Abre all in agreement that the case has to be withdrawn to allow peace to reign in the state,” he said.
He emphasised that he was at the collation centre as the state collation agent for APM during the polls and observed everything. He added that “I signed the election result that Governor Makinde was duly elected, so there is no case or reason to go to court.
“None of the Oyo State exco members, including the candidate, Adeniran Oluseye from Oyo, was aware of the case until we were called by the court. We were never in support of the case and we are satisfied with the withdrawal. We thank Oyo citizens for being patient with us while this lasted.”
However, after the court session, Otunba Kunle Kalejaiye (SAN), the lead counsel for Governor Makinde, said the case was unnecessary and a waste of time, insisting that it was not only frivolous but also ridiculous.
“We have prepared very seriously for the trial only for us to come this morning to meet a motion for withdrawal filed by them. It’s a sort of anti-climax to us because we had thought this morning would be the beginning of legal fireworks. This is a political party that scored just a paltry 303 votes in the whole of Oyo State, challenging the victory of the man that scored over 560,000 votes.
“They have had their day in court and the tribunal has adjourned till Thursday to take that motion for withdrawal. Of course, we are not opposing but when we get to that bridge, we will cross it.
“This is a matter that ought not to come to court in the first place and it supports my call to the legislature that for you to file an election petition, you must have scored a particular threshold of the total votes cast in that particular state.
“This is ridiculous; 303 votes out of all of Oyo State and you are filing the petition, you made three judges leave their jurisdictions to come and sit over a matter like this but that is still the law and we hope the legislature will do the right thing. It is unfair that three judges left their homes and jurisdictions to come and sit on a ridiculous case like this, it is unfair. I think something has to be done because this wastes the court’s time and resources,” he lamented.
