Ibadan North By-Election: Tribunal dismisses SDP petition against PDP’s Oyekunle

By Adejayan Gbenga

The Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Ibadan has dismissed a petition filed by the Social Democratic Party (SDP) challenging the victory of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, Hon. Folajimi Oyekunle, in the August 16, 2025 by-election for Ibadan North Federal Constituency.

The SDP had asked the tribunal to nullify Oyekunle’s election, declare its candidate the rightful winner, or order a fresh or supplementary election in affected polling units, citing alleged non-compliance with the Electoral Act 2022.

Counsel to Oyekunle and the PDP, Tunji Ogunrinde, SAN, challenged the competence of the petition, arguing that the petitioner failed to properly join the candidate as a party in the suit and urged the tribunal to dismiss the case.

Delivering judgment in suit number EPT/OY/HR/01/2025, the tribunal, led by Justice A.M. Yakubu, dismissed the petition for lack of merit, ruling that the petitioner failed to prove its claims.

The panel described the testimony of the sole witness presented by the SDP as contradictory, unreliable, and inadmissible.

The tribunal consequently upheld Oyekunle’s election victory and awarded a cost of N2 million in favour of the PDP and its candidate.