All was tense yesterday in Ekiti State ahead of today’s Supreme Court judgment in the suit filed by the All Progressives Congress (APC) against the election of Governor Ayo Fayose.

The legal dispute is on the June 21, 2014 governorship election, which the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declared Fayose, who ran on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), winner.

The electoral agency credited Fayose with 203,090 votes. The APC candidate, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, scored 120,433 votes.

Fayemi conceded defeat to Fayose but his party (APC) went to court, complaining of intimidation of its members and militarisation of the poll. Besides, the APC questioned Fayose’s qualification for the election.

Fayose’s election was affirmed by the Election Petition Tribunal led by Justice Mohammed Sirajo, on December 19, last year.

The APC proceeded to the Court of Appeal but lost again as an Appeal Panel chaired by Justice Abdu Aboki on February 16 upheld Fayose’s election.

Although the APC lost at the Appeal Court, the court found merit in the party’s claim that the military was used to intimidate its leaders and members before and during the election.

The court ruled that it is illegal to deploy the military for election duties.

Undeterred by its loss in the Appeal Court, the APC went to the apex court, to challenge Fayose’s victory.

Fayose, in a broadcast, urged residents to maintain the peace.

He expressed appreciation to the people for voting for his party at last Saturday’s House of Assembly polls.

Fayose said the victory had confirmed that the PDP’s winning streak, which started with last year’s governorship poll, was not a fluke and that he is not holding a stolen mandate as alleged by his opponents.

The governor expressed confidence that he would overcome his travails, adding that the plot to remove him will not succeed.

Some residents have been reacting to the impending judgment.

A State Local Government Service Commission official said what was paramount to him is the peaceful coexistence of residents.

A farmer, Mr. Sunday Adelowo, said he did not believe that people should nurse anxiety over the judgment since the Tribunal and the Appeal Court had earlier ruled in Fayose’s favour.

Policemen remained on guard yesterday at various places in Ado-Ekiti, the state capital where they have been since the outbreak of the impeachment crisis last week.

The APC in Ekiti State has raised the alarm over alleged plans by members of the PDP to attack its members and supporters on Tuesday if the Supreme Court judgment threatens Fayose ‘s position.

APC Publicity Secretary, Taiwo Olatubosun said in a statement that the party had uncovered plans to burn down houses of APC leaders and harm members and supporters if the judgment is not favourable to the governor.