- Ogun gov’s supporters launch into songs in court premises
- PDP petitions CJN over tribunal judgments
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate in Ogun State, Mr. Oladipupo Adebutu, yesterday failed in his bid to upturn the March 18 re-election of Governor Dapo Abiodun at the State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal.
The court dismissed Adebutu’s petition as lacking merit and affirmed the Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC’s) declaration of Abiodun as winner of the election.
The judgments of similar tribunals in Sokoto and Taraba states yesterday also went in favour of Governors Ahmed Aliyu (Sokoto) and Agbu Kefas (Taraba).
The Ogun State Election Petition Tribunal in its unanimous judgment that took over 11 hours to deliver said the petitioner and his party failed to prove their case beyond reasonable doubt.
The tribunal chairman, Justice Hamidu Kunaza, held that the allegations of corrupt practices, non-compliance with the Electoral Act, multiple thumb printing of ballot papers, ballot stuffing and forgery contained in Adebutu’s petition were not convincing.
He described the testimonies of the witnesses brought by the petitioners as “industrially manufactured, mechanically produced and adopted” and “proven too similar, too coincidental and unbelievable.”
The tribunal held that the petitioner also failed to prove beyond doubt the allegation that Abiodun was convicted in the US as no witness from that country was produced to testify to that effect.
Supporters of the APC and the governor, who had thronged the court premises, launched into singing and dancing at the end of proceedings, which were witnessed by Ogun State Deputy Governor, Engr Noimot Salako-Oyedele; the Senator representing Ogun West, Solomon Adeola; his counterpart for Ogun Central, Senator Salisu Shuaib; Senator Gbenga Kaka; Minister of State for Environment and Ecological Management, Dr. Iziaq Kunle Salako; former Speaker of Ogun State House of Assembly, Hon. Titi Oseni-Gomez; House of Reps member, Hon. Tunji Akinosi; Hon. Motunrayo Adeleye-Oladapo and ex-Woman Affairs Commissioner, Mrs Funmilayo Efuwape.
From the PDP were Adebutu, his running mate Adekunle Akinlade and the state chairman of the party, Alhaji Sikirulai Ogundele, among others.
The state chapter of the APC, in a congratulatory message after the judgment was delivered, said it had always known that the PDP had no substance.
Publicity Secretary Tunde Oladunnoye quoted the state Chairman of the party, Chief Yemi Sanusi, as saying:” We went round the 20 local government areas of the state, we went to some local governments twice, we campaigned vigorously in the wards, we showcased what our party and government have done in four years and was doing.
“In most of our campaigns, we commissioned projects and inaugurated new ones, which was unprecedented in the electioneering annals of Nigeria. Our people believed in us, trusted us and voted for continuity. We had no doubt about our electoral victory and it was indeed a divine mandate.
“We have always known that the PDP is as disorganised as its ramshackle petitions, which the party and its highly incompetent and run away defeated candidate knew or ought to have known cannot succeed. They merely wanted to reap where they did not sow, forgetting that you can’t build something on nothing.
“The tribunal has rightly done justice and due diligence to their spurious petitions.”
Your petition against Aliyu defective, court tells PDP’s Umar
The Sokoto Governorship Election Petition Tribunal said the plaintiff, Sa’idu Umar of PDP, not only failed to prove the six grounds formulated in his petition, the 28 polling unit agents who testified for him could not fully identify themselves along with their roles.
Besides, the tribunal chairman, Justice Haruna Mshelia, said 70 per cent of the exhibits tendered by the petitioner were out of context as they related to State Assembly elections conducted on the same day.
Umar had challenged Aliyu’s victory over alleged ineligibility of the governor and Deputy Governor Muhammad Idris Gobir, citing what he called falsification of certificates, variation of names, election frauds and non-compliance with electoral guidelines.
However, the tribunal said the allegations were nor proved.
According to him, to prove forgery, two different documents or persons must be presented, but the petitioners failed in this regard while the variation of names issue had been settled by the Supreme Court .
The petition was consequently dismissed.
How tribunal affirmed Kefas’ election in Taraba
The Justice G.A. Sunmonu-led tribunal, which heard the petition against Taraba State Governor Kefas, said the two grounds upon which Professor Sani Yahaya of the NNPP based his case were untenable.
He said the petitioners failed to justify the relief they sorted.
”The petitioner failed to prove his ground that the governor was not duly elected, and therefore, the petition lacked merit,” Justice Sunmonu said.
The NNPP and its candidate had claimed the election was characterised by irregularities.
Another relief sort by the NNPP was for the tribunal to order for a fresh election in the state.
Apart from the alleged irregularities, the party also alleged non-compliance with the Electoral Act 2022.
Moments after the judgment was delivered, Kefas hailed it as an affirmation of the will of the people.
The governor in a statement by Mr Emma Belo, his Special Adviser on Media and Digital Communications, dedicated his victory to the people of the state.
He asked his opponents to close ranks and support his administration toward moving the state forward.
The governor enjoined all citizens in the state to accept the judgment as the will of God and that of the majority of the people.
”This victory belongs to all Taraba people and every lover of democracy,” he said.
The governor commended the judges in the tribunal for standing to their professional calling and upholding truth, justice and fairness.
PDP petitions CJN over judgments delivered by Plateau tribunal
The Plateau State chapter of the PDP said yesterday that it had petitioned the Chief Justice of Nigeria and Chairman of the National Judicial Council, Justice Kayode Ariwola, over the judgments delivered by the Justice Mohammed Tukur-led National Assembly Election Petitions tribunal sitting in Jos.
The party accused the three panelists of deliberate perversion of justice and conspiracy to remove its elected candidates into the legislative houses.
It said the tribunal had upturned one out of the two senatorial seats won by PDP, all the four seats won into the House of Representatives and six out of the 15 seats won in the State House of Assembly.
