In a surprising turn of events, Babatunde Ajala, the gubernatorial candidate of the Action Alliance (AA) in the 2023 elections in Oyo State, has withdrawn his suit challenging the victory of Governor Seyi Makinde. This decision was made known by Ajala’s legal counsels who filed an application to discontinue the case against Makinde.
Ajala had earlier joined forces with the Allied People’s Movement (APM) and its candidate, Adeniran Oluwaseyi, to file a petition at the Governorship Election Tribunal in Ibadan, challenging the outcome of the election. However, it appears that he has had a change of heart and decided to end the legal battle.
While discontinuing the suit, Ajala’s legal team requested for compensations to cover the cost of litigation. It is unclear if this demand will be granted.
The crux of Ajala’s case was the alleged exclusion of the AA party logo from the 2023 governorship ballot paper. He claimed that this disenfranchised him from participating in the election and gave Makinde an unfair advantage. However, with the discontinuation of the case, it seems that he has accepted Makinde’s victory.