AKURE — SECURITY has been beefed up in Akure, Ondo State capital, ahead of today’s delivery of judgment by the Election Petition Tribunal sitting over the October 20 governorship election in the state.

The Justice Andovar Kaka-led three-member tribunal had, Wednesday, communicated to the three parties— Labour Party, LP; Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, and Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN— that the judgment will be delivered today.

Security operatives were noticed in strategic places across the Akure metropolis, while the tribunal venue, the High Court in Akure, is being manned by both plain clothe policemen and members of the State Security Service SSS.

Speaking with newsmen in Akure, police authorities said that they had deployed a sizeable number of policemen to strategic areas in the state capital ahead of the judgment.

Police image-maker in the state, Wole Ogodo, said in Akure that the Police Command was not going to take any chance, hence the beefing up of security in case of any eventualities from politicians.

Ogodo said that the police are up to the task and would not tolerate any break down of law and order.

He appealed to the people of the state to go about their normal businesses and that there was not cause for alarm.

Police statement

The state Police Command, in a statement in Akure, entitled The need to maintain peace during and after the election tribunal judgment, said: “Ondo State Police Command wishes to use this medium to assure the good and peace-loving people of Ondo State of adequate protection during and after the election tribunal jugdment coming up today.

“The command enjoins the political class to take the judgment with the spirit of sportsmanship.

“However, in discharge of our lawful duties, the police will not hesitate to ruthlessly deal with anybody who foments trouble in any guise on account of the judgment.”

6 SANs, 180 days, 101 witness

Meantime, palpable fear and anxiety have gripped ACN and the PDP, the petitioners, and the respondent, the ruling LP, as to where the pendulum will finally swing.

During the 180 days legal gymnastics, the petitioners and the respondents slugged it out with the PDP candidate, Olusola Oke, calling 45 witnesses; ACN candidate, Rotimi Akeredolu, calling 42, while the first respondent, Dr. Olusegun Mimiko, invited 14 witnesses.

Six Senior Advocate of Nigeria, SANs, led by the former NBA President, Chief Oluwole Olanipekun, stood in for Dr. Mimiko, while Akeredolu had Chief Akin Olujimi and Oke had Mr. Patrick Ikueto.