The National and State Assembly Election Petitions Tribunal sitting in Ibadan has affirmed the victory of the lawmaker representing Ibadan North Federal Constituency, Hon. Folajimi Oyekunle (DON), in the August 16, 2025 by-election.
In a unanimous judgment delivered on Wednesday by a three-member panel, the tribunal dismissed the petition instituted by the Social Democratic Party (SDP) against Hon. Oyekunle and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), ruling that the case lacked merit and was unsupported by substantial evidence.
The tribunal further awarded a cost of ₦2 million against the SDP in favour of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), describing the suit as frivolous and unsubstantiated.
The SDP, in its petition marked EPT/OY/HR/01/2025, had challenged the victory of the PDP candidate, Hon. Oyekunle, alleging non-compliance with provisions of the Electoral Act 2022 in the conduct of the by-election. The party urged the tribunal to nullify the August 16 poll and order a fresh or supplementary election in some polling units across the constituency.
In response, counsel to the PDP, Tunji Ogunrinde, SAN, raised a preliminary objection, faulting the competence of the petition and arguing that the SDP failed to comply with relevant provisions of the Electoral Act. He urged the tribunal to dismiss the case, describing it as speculative and gold-digging.
After the close of parties’ cases and adoption of written addresses, the tribunal held that the SDP failed to prove its allegations against Hon. Oyekunle and INEC with credible, cogent, and convincing evidence. The panel consequently dismissed the petition in its entirety and imposed the ₦2 million cost on the petitioner.
Hon. Oyekunle won the August 16 by-election with 18,404 votes, defeating his closest rival, Murphy Olatunji of the APC, who polled 8,312 votes, while the SDP candidate scored 88 votes.
Reacting to the judgment, Hon. Oyekunle described the verdict as a clear validation of the will of the people of Ibadan North Federal Constituency. Speaking through his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Bodija Akinwale, the lawmaker said the ruling reaffirmed that the mandate freely given by the electorate cannot be overturned through litigation.
He expressed gratitude to constituents for their unwavering support, noting that the legal challenges were mere distractions that did not reflect the realities on ground. According to him, the petitions did not deter his focus on legislative duties, as he remains committed to effective representation, quality lawmaking, and responsive leadership for the people of Ibadan North.
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