The National and State Houses of Assembly Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Oyo State on Saturday dismissed a petition filed by the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) , Mr. Ademola Omotosho against Hon. Olaide Akinremi of the All Progressives Congress (APC) representing Ibadan North Federal constituency in the February 16, 2019 general elections.
The three man tribunal also dismissed petitions filled by Mr. Mogbonjubola Olawale of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) in Oluyole Federal Constituency against Tolulope Sadipe and Professor Joseph Adeniyi Olowofela of the APC against Oluyemi Taiwo ( PDP) in Ibarapa East/ Ido federal constituency in the February 16, 2019 polls .
In different judgements read by the three-man panel of the tribunal which has Justice Anthony Akpovi as Chairman, Justice Sambo Daka and Justice Chinyere Ani as members unanimously dismissed the petitions.
The petitioners were contesting that the elections were marred by malpractices, failed to comply with the provision of electoral Act and the respondents did not win by the required number of valid votes.
Also, the petitioners were seeking an order of the tribunal declaring them winners or on the alternative, nullified the elections.
The judgments read by each of them said the petitions lack merit and awarded a cost of N150,000 each against the petitioners.
The tribunal further held that no election conducted anywhere in the world that is without minor errors, and that the petitioners failed to prove that the substantial non-compliance affected the outcome of the election.
The panel said that the petitioners also failed to tender necessary documents and witnesses to defend their petition, adding that the burden to prove that the election failed to comply with the provision of the electoral Act lied against the petitioner.
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