The
National and State Houses of Assembly Election Petitions Tribunal
adjudicating on the petition filed by Senator Olufemi Lanlehin against
the election of Senator Soji Akanbi has dismissed the former’s petition
for lack of merit.
Delivering a three and half hours judgment in the petition in Ibadan, Oyo State, on Wednesday, a member of the panel, Justice Rafael Ajua, held that the petitioner could not prove his allegation of substantial non-compliance with the Electoral Act.
Lanlehin, Accord Party candidate, had challenged the victory of Akanbi, candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) on the grounds of malpractices, non-compliance with the Electoral Act, among others.
He said the general statements contained in the petition alleging malpractices in “several units, most units” were not specific and consequently struck out nine paragraphs relating to such in the petition.
All pieces of evidence tendered in respect of the councils not specifically pleaded were rejected by the tribunal as well as all oral evidence led by the witnesses called by the petitioner.
The tribunal, however, expunged all submissions made by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the Resident Electoral Commissioner, Toyin Akeju, for filing their replies to the petition late.
In another judgment by the same panel, the tribunal chairman, Justice Usman Tanko upheld the election of Honourable Akeem Adeyemi, of the APC for Afijio/Atiba/Oyo East/Oyo West Federal Constituency, dismissing Honourable Kamil Akinlabi’s petition against him.
Meanwhile, the Appeal Court in Ibadan has refused the appeal brought before it by Senator Rashidi Ladoja of Accord against the ruling of the governorship election tribunal which rejected the report of a forensic he sought to tender in evidence.
Delivering a three and half hours judgment in the petition in Ibadan, Oyo State, on Wednesday, a member of the panel, Justice Rafael Ajua, held that the petitioner could not prove his allegation of substantial non-compliance with the Electoral Act.
Lanlehin, Accord Party candidate, had challenged the victory of Akanbi, candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) on the grounds of malpractices, non-compliance with the Electoral Act, among others.
He said the general statements contained in the petition alleging malpractices in “several units, most units” were not specific and consequently struck out nine paragraphs relating to such in the petition.
All pieces of evidence tendered in respect of the councils not specifically pleaded were rejected by the tribunal as well as all oral evidence led by the witnesses called by the petitioner.
The tribunal, however, expunged all submissions made by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the Resident Electoral Commissioner, Toyin Akeju, for filing their replies to the petition late.
In another judgment by the same panel, the tribunal chairman, Justice Usman Tanko upheld the election of Honourable Akeem Adeyemi, of the APC for Afijio/Atiba/Oyo East/Oyo West Federal Constituency, dismissing Honourable Kamil Akinlabi’s petition against him.
Meanwhile, the Appeal Court in Ibadan has refused the appeal brought before it by Senator Rashidi Ladoja of Accord against the ruling of the governorship election tribunal which rejected the report of a forensic he sought to tender in evidence.
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