Judiciary
NATIONAL and State Assembly Election Petitions Tribunal sitting in Benin City has upheld the election of Senator Clifford Ordia representing Edo Central senatorial district.
It dismissed the petition filed by Mr. John Osagie Inegbedion, candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), for lacking in merit.
Inegbedion had asked the tribunal to declare him winner of the election.
In its ruling, the tribunal held that the petitioners failed to prove their case of vote buying and non-compliance with the Electoral Act.
It said the video clip played before the tribunal showing people thumb printing was not demonstrated by any witness and expunged it from the records of the court.
The tribunal ruled that the petitioners failed to name any voter that was bribed or bought with money.
In the unanimous judgment, the tribunal said all the documents tendered by Inegbedion while giving evidence were wrong because he could not have been present at all the polling units.
It said no witnesses said anything in the exhibits tendered by Inegbedion adding that the petitioners had to prove their allegations polling unit by polling unit.
The tribunal further held that the reliefs sought by the petitioners were declarative and that a candidate of an election cannot be affected by the conduct of its political party. – The Nation
– Sept. 10, 2019 @ 14:15 GMT |
Tags: Tribunal upholds Senator Ordia election
