Tribunal Nullifies Osun PDP Rep”s Election

The Osun State National and State Assembly Election Petition Tribunal has nullified the election of a People’s Democratic Party House of Representatives member,  Mr Bamidele Salam representing Ede North, Ede South, Ejigbo and Egbedore Federal Constituency.

The Tribunal also nullified the elections of two PDP members of the Osun State House of Assembly, Mr Adewumi Adeyemi from Ibokun and from Ede North State Constituencies.

In a judgement read by the Chairman of the three man panel, Justice Eyo Ita, the tribunal ordered that supplementary elections in some polling units of the affected constituencies must be held within 60 days.

In the Ede North, South, Ejigbo and Egbedore Federal constituencies, the tribunal directed the independent National Electoral Commission, INEC to conduct fresh election in 7 polling units in Ede, 4 in Ejigbo and 3 in Egbedore local governments.

Similarly, in Ede North State Constituency, the rerun will hold in at least one unit in each of the 12 wards, while Justice Ita ordered the electoral umpire to organise rerun election in 4 units of Obokun State Constituency.

The verdict of the tribunal was predicated on proved allegations of over voting in the units where elections were nullified.

However, in Ifelodun State constituency, the tribunal dismissed the petition filed by Mr Hazeem Abioye of the PDP challenging the eligibility of APC member of the House, Doctor Mulikat Akande on the ground of her alleged non resignation from her previous employment within the period required by the law before seeking elective office.

The tribunal noted that the petitioner, Mr Hazeem Abioye, being a legal practitioner ought not to have instituted such action that lack merit and against the provision of the constitution to confuse and waste the time of the court.

Consequently, Justice Eyo Ita awarded the sum of 250,000 naira as cost against the petitioner to be paid to both the first respondent, Dr Mulikat Akande and the second respondent, the All Progressives Congress.

Adenitan Akinola