This judgment affirmed Dapo Abiodun, who belongs to the All Progressives Congress (APC), as the duly elected governor of the state.
Adebutu, in response to the tribunal's decision, described it as unexpected and disheartening, considering it a potential threat to the democratic system in Nigeria.
He firmly stated that even though the tribunal primarily focused on technicalities rather than the core issues of the case, he had no choice but to explore all available legal avenues, including heading to the Appeal Court, to assert his rightful mandate.
In a statement released through the Director of Media of the Ladi Adebutu Campaign Organisation, Afolabi Orekoya, Adebutu emphasized that the tribunal's judgment, rooted in what he called "funny technicalities," failed to consider the substantial merits and evidence presented during the trial.
He said, “Regrettably, the Tribunal chose to focus on mere technicalities and the use of English rather than engage in a thorough examination of the glaring evidence presented.
“We submitted substantial evidence that raised serious questions about the conduct of the election, even marked ballot papers and we are confident that a closer examination of this evidence would have revealed the true nature of the irregularities and discrepancies that occurred during the election.
“In the course of the trial, our legal team presented enough evidence that establishing non-compliance, voters’ harassment and intimidation leading to the disenfranchisement of over 49,000 voters which is higher than the margin of lead of 13,915 as “purportedly” declared by INEC; the ballot boxes snatching, over voting among many other electoral malpractices perpetuated by Mr Dapo Abiodun and his party, APC.
“We obtained duly Certified True Copies of documents from the electoral umpire, INEC, and paid for with official receipts to back our claims which proved all the content of our petition and justified our concerns over the election.
“We condemn unequivocally the judgement of the tribunal, consequently, we have mandated our legal team to appeal the judgement of the tribunal. We will not relent until due Justice is served.
