Rotimi Akeredolu, the governor-elect of Ondo State, has commended his opponents at the last governorship election in the southwestern state – Eyitayo Jegede of the People’s Democratic Party, PDP, and Olusola Oke of the Alliance for Democracy for accepting the result of the flawed election in good faith.
The time to file petitions at the Election Petition Tribunal to challenge the election result lapsed on Sunday December 18, 2016, 21 days after the announcement of the results of the poll and none of the contestants have filed any petition against the winner of the poll.
Akeredolu was declared the winner of the election by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, on Sunday, November 27, 2016 after defeating 26 candidates of other political parties that participated in the election.
The governor-elect who spoke with journalists on Tuesday, December 20, 2016 at Owo, in Owo Local Government Area of Ondo State, claimed that the election was “free and fair.”
Chief Akeredolu, who ran on the platform of the All Progressives Congress, APC, specifically commended Mr. Jegede, a senior advocate of Nigeria and Chief Oke saying the duo had displayed good sportsmanship spirit by not challenging the result of the election at the Election Petition Tribunal.
According to him, having no case at the tribunal would enable him concentrate on governance after the being sworn in.
