APC, PDP candidates lose at election tribunal

The National Assembly election petition tribunal in Oyo State on Saturday dismissed petitions against three members of the House of Representatives from two different parties.

The elections of the three lawmakers whom the election petition tribunal upheld on Saturday are Musliudeen Olaide Akinremi, Tolulope Akande-Sadipe and Olayemi Taiwo.

They currently represent Ibadan North, Oluyole and Ido/ Ibarapa East constituencies respectively.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had declared Mr Akinremi of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Mr Akande-Sadipe also of APC and Mr Taiwo of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) winners of the House of Representatives elections during the last general polls.

However, the candidate of the PDP in Ibadan North, Ademola Omotoso, approached the election petition tribunal urging the tribunal to declare him (Omotoso) the winner instead of Akinremi.

Also, the PDP candidate in Oluyole, Mojeed Mogbonjubola, also kicked against Mr Akande-Sadipe’s victory when he approached the tribunal to declare him (Mogbojubola) as the winner.

Adeniyi Olowofela of the APC also asked the tribunal to declare him (Olowofela) winner of the Ido/ Ibarapa East federal constituency election against Mr Taiwo.

The petitioners were contesting that the elections were marred by malpractices; failure to comply with the provision of the Electoral Act and that the respondents did not win by the required number of valid votes.

The petitioners also wanted the tribunal to declare them winners or in the alternative that the elections nullified.

Ruling

But, in upholding Mr Akinremi’s victory as the winner of Ibadan North federal constituency election held in February this year, the judges also awarded the sum of N150,000 cost against Mr Omotoso.

Delivering judgment in favour of Mr Akinremi, the tribunal which has Anthony Akpovi as Chairman, as well as Sambo Daka and Chinyere Ani as members, unanimously said Mr Omotoso’s petition lacked merit.

The tribunal also dismissed petition filed by Mr Mogbonjubola.

The judges also said the other two petitions lack merit and awarded cost of N150,000 each against the petitioners.

PDP reacts to sack of its three lawmakers by election tribunal

The tribunal held that “no election was conducted in the world without minor error and that the petitioners failed to prove that the substantial non-compliance affected the outcome of the election”.

The tribunal said that the petitioners failed to tender necessary documents and witnesses to defend their petitions.