IBADAN, Nigeria -(Dow Jones)- Nigeria's Court of Appeal Tuesday upheld the election of the ruling People's Democratic Party's Adebayo Alao-Akala as governor of the southwestern state of Oyo, legal officials said.
Abiola Ajimobi of the opposition All Nigeria People's Party had challenged the ruling of an election petition tribunal which declared Alao-Akala winner of the April 2007 governorship poll.
Ajimobi claimed Alao-Akala's election was characterized by widespread ballot-rigging, ballot-snatching and other criminal activities.
But the Court of Appeal Tuesday upheld the tribunal's decision, with presiding judge Justice Victor Omage declaring that Ajimobi had failed to prove beyond reasonable doubt that the 2007 election was rigged in favor of Alao-Akala.
Several governorship and senatorial polls conducted in Nigeria in April 2007 have been nullified, either by election tribunals or by the Court of Appeal.
Oyo is one of the five major cocoa-producing states in southwestern Nigeria.

Sorry people - it looks like Akala is here to stay. More looting to his elbow

Cry the beloved Oyo state.

What a sad day in Oyo State, a reflection of an hopeless Nation.

At least Akala can stop looting and and start ruling now he should have no fear anymore.

miscarriage of justice

KnowAll:


At least Akala can stop looting and and start ruling now he should have no fear anymore.

Dont even dream it. What on earth would stop Akala from looting? In fact the real looting has just started and the people of Oyo State should be prepared for this. They should also be prepared to stop him from returning in 2011 though he may would amassed enough wealth to fight the fight.

It is also a victory to sellers of skin bleaching creams and sellers of jewelries.

It is obvious that the PDP, that atrocious party much hated by the people and still winning landslide victories in elections, is presently in panic mode. The victory of the skin bleaching governor Akala points to that fact. It is doubtful if the party would have any state in the entire southwest in the next elections except they do the only thing they know how to do which is daylight election robbery.