The Labour Party governorship candidate in Ondo State, Dr. Olusegun Mimiko, on Monday challenged the declaration of Dr. Olusegun Agagu as the winner of the April 14 poll at the Election Petitions Tribunal sitting in Akure.

The petition has Agagu, the Peoples Democratic Party, the Independent National Electoral Commission and 15 others as respondents.

Mimiko, who arrived at the State High Court, venue of the tribunal, at 10:20 am accompanied by his deputy, Alli Olanusi, and the party chairman in the state, Dr. Olaiya Oni, as well as thousands of his supporters, prayed the tribunal to set aside INEC’s declaration that Agagu won the majority of the votes cast during the poll.

He also prayed the tribunal to declare him as the duly-elected governor of Ondo State.

Mimiko, in the 45,000-page petitions alleged that Agagu and the PDP unlawfully deployed their agents across the state on the election day to steal ballot boxes and other election materials.

This, he said, was ”demonstrated by the current Deputy Governor, Chief Omolade Oluwateru, who personally snatched, hijacked and stole many ballot boxes in Akure and other local government areas. Otunba Omolade was briefly arrested by the Police and later released.”

The LP governorship candidate also stated that Agagu did not score the 25 per cent of the total number of lawful votes cast in 12 of the 18 local government areas of the state contrary to section 179 (2) of the 1999 constitution.

Mimiko also prayed the tribunal to order fresh elections in four local government areas of the state where irregularities allegedly marred the poll. He stated that as an alternative, “A fresh election be ordered throughout Ondo State for the election of the governor of Ondo State in accordance with the provisions of the Electoral Act 2006.”

In the rescheduled poll, Mimiko prayed the Tribunal to order that the Commissioner of Police, Ondo State, The Nigerian Army and the Nigerian Navy be ordered to keep strictly to their constitutional and statutory functions and jurisdiction.”

His lawyers include Chief Wole Olanipekun (SAN), Mallam Yusuf Olaolu Ali (SAN) Oluwarotimi Akeredolu (SAN) Tayo Yeti (SAN) and Mr. Femi Falana, among others.

Mimiko, who later spoke with newsmen, asked Agagu to surrender his mandate before he could have any discussion with him. He said that he believed in the judiciary and that was why he had come to avail himself of the opportunity of reclaiming his mandate through the tribunal.