The National/State Assembly Election Petitions Tribunal
sitting in Benin has upheld the victory of Sen. Adams Oshiomhole in the Feb. 25
Edo North Senatorial District election.
The tribunal also upheld the election of Rep Ihonvbere
Julius of the APC, representing Owan Federal Constituency.
The three-man tribunal, led by Justice O.A. Chuioke,
dismissed the petition filed by a former Senator, Francis Alimikhena of the PDP
for lack of merit.
Alimikhena, through his counsel, Mr Rasak Isenalume, had petitioned
against the former governor of the state, Sen Oshiomhole, alongside INEC and
APC, in the suit NO: EPT/ED/SEN/02/2023.
The 1st petitioner Alimikhena, in his petition, asked the
tribunal to declare null and void the election of Oshiomhole over non
compliance with the provisions of the Electoral Act, 2022, as required by law
and declare him winner of the election.
He also urged the tribunal to nullify the election of the
former APC National Chairman on alleged non transmission of election results through
the use of BIVAS machine to IREV Portal
Alimikhena, on the alternative, prayed the tribunal to order
for a rerun of the election owing to substantial non-compliance with the law.
But in their separate responses, counsels to the respondents
urged the tribunal to dismiss the case of the petitioners for lack of merit.
Delivering the unanimous judgement on behalf of the
tribunal, its Chairman, Justice Alero Akeredolu, held that the petitioners
failed woefully to prove their case, adding that they could not rely on
weakness or strength of the respondents to prove their cases against
Oshiomhole.
Justice Akeredolu also held that the petitioners failed to
tender before the tribunal any relevant document to prove a case of
non-compliance as contained in their petitions.
The Tribunal, therefore, dismissed the petition against
Oshiomhole in its entirety
The tribunal also dismissed the petition filed by Jimoh
Iruokhaime Ijiegbai Ojeiu and PDP, against the INEC declaration of Ihonvbere as
winner of the Owan Federal Constituency.
The tribunal also agreed with the argument of the lead
counsel to Ihonvbere, Mr Ehiogie West-Idahosa (SAN), that Ojeiu’s petition
failed in its entirety.
Ojeiu and the PDP are 1st and 2nd petitioners in the
petition marked EPT/ED/HR/03/2023.
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