The Ekiti State Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ekiti has stated it will appeal the judgment of the Governorship Election Petitions Tribunal sitting in Abuja.
The Tribunal had in a unanimous decision upheld the victory of the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Dr. Kayode Fayemi.
The Governorship Election Petitions Tribunal had at its inaugural sitting in September relocated to Abuja after all parties involved in the suit demanded a change of venue for security reasons.
Kayode Fayemi of the APC polled 197,459 votes to defeat the Candidate of the PDP prof Kolapo Olusola who got 178,121 votes in July the 14th, 2018 governorship election in the state.
Deputy Chairman of APC in Ekiti State, Sola Elesin described the judgement as sound and exciting saying the petition against the party’s victory is baseless.
“It’s a sound judgement and we are glad we got justice. We know we won the election fair and square and the petition was just a frivolity,” Elesin said.
But the PDP Publicity Secretary in the State, Jackson Adebayo has faulted the judgement, and insists on appealing the verdict.
“We the have other stages in law. To us, this judgement has errors and we will definitely appeal and all of us will eventually end at the Supreme Court ” Adebayo stated.
The Party also urged all its members, particularly in Ekiti State, not to despair over the ruling.
This was contained in a statement made on Monday, by Kola Ologbondiyan, PDP’s National Publicity Secretary.
The party says the judgment of the tribunal will surely be overturned at the Court of Appeal and victory handed to the PDP and its candidate, Olusola Eleka.
The PDP holds that the Court of Appeal will consider the matter strictly on its merit particularly with the abounding evidence of rigging including violence, vote-buying, ballot stuffing and alteration of results perpetuated by the APC are still intact.
The PDP urged the Lord Justices to stand for justice by restoring the mandate freely given to the PDP candidate, Olusola Eleka, at the July 14, 2018 governorship election in Ekiti state.
The PDP noted that the entire nation and the international community had widely condemned the “manipulation” that marred the Ekiti governorship election and strongly believes that justice will be served at the end of the day.
 in Ekiti has stated it will appeal the judgment of the Governorship Election Petitions Tribunal sitting in Abuja.){kind=link}