Ondo election: Markarfi faction expresses confidence in new appellate panel

The Ahmed Makarfi faction of the Peoples Democratic Party on Thursday expressed its confidence in the newly constituted panel of the Court of Appeal to hear its case.
The Publicity Secretary of the faction, Banji Okunomo, told newsmen in Akure, Ondo State that it was hopeful of justice at the appellate court.
Okunomo said that the faction’s candidate in the November 26 governorship election in Ondo State, Eyitayo Jegede, was the authentic candidate of party.
He alleged that there was injustice in the judgment of Justice Okon Abang of the Federal High Court, Abuja on October 14.
Okunomo said: “We believe in the law; we are protected by the law. The law is on our side to produce the candidate of our party because the only lawful PDP primary was held in Ondo.
“We believe that the judgment of Justice Abang would not stand in the face of the law. The same lawyer that stood for Biyi Poroye as a plaintiff also stood as a lawyer for the defendant.
“This cannot stand at the Court of Appeal. Our action is on the law and we believe we are going to get justice at the appellate court.”
The faction had appealed against the ruling of the lower court which ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission to declare Jimoh Ibrahim as the authentic candidate of the party.
A panel led by Justice Jumai Sankey had withdrawn from further presiding over the case in the appellate court following a petition by one of the respondents in the case