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The National and State Houses of Assembly Election Petitions Tribunal in Oyo State, on Saturday upheld the elections of three House of Representatives members from the state.
The tribinal dismissed a petition filed by the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party(PDP), Ademola Omotoso against Musiliudeen Akinremi of the All Progressive Congress(APC).
Asides Akinremi, Tolulope Akande-Sadipe also of the APC from Oluyole constituency won, alongside the PDP lawmaker from Ido/Ibarapa East, Oluyemi Taiwo.
In upholding Akinremi’s victory as the winner of Ibadan North federal constituency election held in February this year, the judges were unanimous in their decision in favour of the lawmaker and awarded N150, 000 cost against Omotoso.
Delivering judgment in favour of Akinremi, the three-man panel which has Justice Anthony Akpovi as Chairman, Justice Sambo Daka and Justice Chinyere Ani as members unanimously said Omotoso’s petition lacked merit.
The tribunal also dismissed the petition filed by Mr. Mojeed Mogbonjubola of the PDP in Oluyole Federal Constituency against Akande-Sadipe and another petition filed by Prof. Joseph Olowofela of the APC against Taiwo in Ido/Ibarapa East constituency.
All petitioners were contesting that the elections were marred by malpractices; failure to comply with the provision of Electoral Act and that the respondents did not win by the required number of valid votes.
The petitioners also wanted the order of the tribunal to declare them winners or in the alternative nullify the elections
In the judgments read, the judges said the petition lacked merit and awarded cost of N150,000 each against the petitioners.
The tribunal maintained that there was no election conducted in the world without minor skirmishes and that the petitioners failed to prove that the substantial non-compliance affected the outcome of the election.
The panel further stated that the petitioners failed to tender necessary documents and witnesses to aid their petition, adding that the burden to prove that an election failed to comply with the provision of the Electoral Act lies with the petitioner.