For Ondo State Governor, Dr. Olusegun Mimiko, it was a case of double victory as the the Election Petition Tribunal minutes ago threw out the case brought against him by Chief Olusola Oke, candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the October 20, 2012 governorship election in the state.

The verdict came shortly after the tribunal chaired by Justice Andovar Kaka’an similarly dismissed the petition of Chief Rotimi Akeredolu (SAN), the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) candidate who came third in the disputed ballot behind Mimiko and Oke.

Ruling on Oke’s petition around 1:29 p.m. in the state capital Akure, the tribunal held that the evidence produced by him in the course of the trial “is at variance with his pleadings.”

The tribunal had late this morning dismissed Akeredolu’s petition on the grounds that an election cannot be nullified unless it is shown that noncompliance with aspects of the provisions of the Electoral Act “substantially affected the result.”

Analysing of petitioner’s witnesses, Kaka’an said: “We therefore find these testimonies as false.”

Supporters of Mimiko, who is fondly called Iroko, have poured into Ondo streets in celebration even as Akeredolu and Oke’s camps weigh the appeal court option.

•Photo: Governor Mimiko acknowledging cheers from his supporters during the campaign that led to the election.