Tribunal sacks Oyo PDP lawmaker, declares APC candidate winner

The National and State House of Assembly Election Petition Tribunal in Oyo State, on Saturday, sacked the elected People’s Democratic Party (PDP) lawmaker representing  Irepo/Olorunsogo State Constituency, Hon.  Kazeem Olayanju.

The Tribunal subsequently ordered that the All Progressive Congress (APC) candidate  and petitioner Mustapha Ajibola Azeez be sworn in as the winner of the February 23 , 2019 general election .

In the petition number EPT/OY/SHA/30/2019, the APC candidate had challenged the victory of Olayanju of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in the  election .

In the judgment, which lasted for three and a half hours, the three-man panel of the tribunal, led by Justice Anthony Akpovi, unanimously agreed  that the declaration of the PDP candidate as winner of the election was wrong while upholding the petition of the APC candidate seeking for a declaration that he won the poll.

The Tribunal further averred  that the Independent National Electoral  Commission ( INEC ) erred in returning the PDP candidate as winner of the election.

The judgment, read by Akpovi, said that the petitioner succeeded to prove beyond reasonable doubt that the respondent did not win the election.

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Akpovi said that the allegations by the petitioner had merit, especially with regard to the cancellation  of results in Ward 3, which it declared wrongful on the part of the electoral umpire.

The  Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) won 28 out of the 34 seats in the Oyo State House of Assembly while the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) won five seats.

The PDP won in Saki West, Ibadan West, Egbeda, Ibadan North, Ibadan North East, Ibadan South East, Ibadan South West, Ibarapa Central, Ibarapa North, Ibarapa East, Ido, Atisbo, Saki East, and Irepo/Olorunsogo.

Others are Iseyin/Itesiwaju, Kajola, Iwajowa, Lagelu, Ogbomoso North, Ogbomoso South, Oluyole, Ona-Ara and Oorelope, while APC won in Oriire, Afijio, Oyo East and Oyo West , Ogo-Oluwa/  Surulere.