Ibadan North Bye-election: Makinde engages SAN, 13 others to defend PDP, Folajimi at Tribunal

Governor Seyi Makinde, has engaged services of some lawyers, led by a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Tunji Ogunrinde, to defend the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and the party’s candidate in last August 16, 2025 House of Representatives by-election in Ibadan North federal constituency at the election petition Tribunal sitting in Ibadan.

The Social Democratic Party (SDP) filed a petition before the tribunal challenging emergence of PDP candidate, Hon. Sunday Oyekunle Folajimi as the winner of the election.

In the petition with the suit number:EPT/OY/HR/01/2025, the SDP is praying that the election and return of Hon. Folajimi as member representing Ibadan North federal constituency is vitiated by non-compliance with the Electoral Act 2022.

The party also prayed the tribunal to cancel the bye election and conduct fresh or supplementary election in the affected polling units of the federal constituency.

Ogunrinde in his reply to the petition, filed a notice of pleminirary objection challenging the competence of the petition for petitioner’s failure to comply with extant position of the Electoral Act 2022.

He prayed the tribunal to dismiss the petition with substantial cost as same is baseless, gold-digging, frivolous, vexatious, petty and lacks merit.

At the resumed hearing, on Wednesday 15th of October, 2025, the Tribunal sought for the cooperation of all parties, including counsels and the court further adjourned to Thursday 16th of March, 2025.

Source: The Nation