Tension is high in the camps of the All Progressive Congress (APC) and the Accord Party (AP) in Oyo State as the governorship election tribunal delivers its judgment today.

Following four months of legal fireworks, the tribunal will decide who won the April 11 election between former governor Rashidi Ladoja and Governor Abiola Ajimobi.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had returned Ajimobi as winner of the election.

Ladoja, who contested on the platform of Accord, challenged the victory of Ajimobi of the All Progressives Congress (APC) before the tribunal.

He joined the APC, the Resident Electoral Commissioner and INEC in the petition.

The Director-General, Ladoja Campaign Organisation, Adeolu Adeleke, yesterday said: “We are expecting the tribunal to declare Senator Rashidi Ladoja as the governor.”

APC’s Director of Publicity and Strategy Wale Shadare said Governor Ajimobi and the party were sure of victory.

He described Ladoja as a comedian, saying he raised so many issues, that he could not prove before the tribunal.

Ladoja, who claimed that he scored the highest number of votes in 22 of the 33 local government areas, asked the tribunal to declare him winner or order a rerun.

His lead counsel, Richard Ogunwole, contended that election took place in 23 local government areas and in some units in the remaining 10 local governments, adding that the election was fraught with non-compliance with the Electoral Act 2010.

He alleged that there were cases of non-accreditation of voters, deliberate refusal to use the smart card readers, over-voting, multiple thumb-printing of ballot papers, ballot stuffing, ballot paper and boxes snatching and so on.

He tendered close to 200 exhibits and called many witnesses during the hearing session.

Ajimobi ‘s counsel Wole Olanipekun told the tribunal that the petition was grossly incompetent and there was no substantial evidence in it, urging the panel to dismiss it.

According to him, Ladoja did not emerge Accord candidate through party primaries and so was not qualified to stand for the election.

But Ogunwole asked Olanipekun to prove his claim.

APC’s lead counsel Rotimi Akeredolu (SAN) and lead counsel to the REC and INEC Yusuf Ali (SAN) defended the election result.

The tribunal, which adopted the addresses on September 30, told the counsel that the judgment day would be communicated to them.

The tribunal, which admitted many of the documents tendered by Ladoja in support of his petition, also dismissed the application of the petitioners, which sought to submit the forensic report of the recounting of ballot papers.

Ladoja challenged the dismissal at the application at Court of Appeal, but the appellate court, in its ruling on October 14, upheld the decision of the tribunal.

The tribunal also dismissed the objections raised by counsel to the respondents that the motion brought before the court by the appellant was not duly signed.

The tribunal held that the motion was duly signed by Ogunwole and therefore dismissed the objection.

The Commissioner of Police, Leye Oyebade, has warned anyone, who has no business at the tribunal and its environs to stay away, adding that anyone or group which foments trouble would be arrested and prosecuted.

“Enough well-equipped, uniformed and plain-clothed policemen, comprising operatives drawn from the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS), mobile police, Counter Terrorism Unit, Explosive Ordinance Department, State Intelligence Bureau, Dog Section and mounted troupe, will be deployed.

“The deployment has since commenced to forestall any breakdown of law and order. All the personnel deployed have been briefed. The Commissioner of Police will personally be in charge of the operations