Romanus Okoye
The Lagos State Election Petitions Tribunal sitting in Ikeja, has in a unanimous ruling, upheld the victory of Mr. Jimoh Abdulakreem Olajide, representing Lagos Mainland in the House of Representatives and awarded cost to the petitioner.
The three-man panel chaired by Justice Kunaza Hamidu, assisted by Justice W.R. Olamide and Justice S.I. Okpara, dismissed the petitioners’ case and declared Olajide as the winner of the House of Representatives elections held on February 23, 2019.
Olajide defeated the candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Tajudeen Abdulkareem Agoro, who came second at the poll in the said election.
Agoro and his party, PDP had filed the petition challenging Olajide’s victory as declared by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), majorly on two grounds. The petitioners, had alleged that the February 23, 2019 election was marred with irregularities, joining APC and INEC were joined as 2nd and 3rd Respondents, respectively, in the petition.
They also alleged that the conduct of the election was not in compliance with the provisions of the Electoral Act and therefore urged the tribunal to sack Olajide and declare him winner.
Responding to the petition, Olajide, through his lawyer, Mr. Wahab Shittu, urged the tribunal to dismiss the petition for being inconsistent, incomplete and incompetent.
The Respondents argued that the principal party, (PDP) under which the 1st petitioner, Agoro, contested the said election did not endorse the extant petition, adding that failure to append its signature to the petition meant that the petition was not properly constituted.
Delivering judgment on the matter, the tribunal agreed with the submissions of Olajide’s counsel, Shittu that the conduct of the election was in total compliance with the provision of the Electoral Act. Accordingly, Justice W.R. Olamide who read the judgement, dismissed the petitioners’ case for failing to prove their case as required by law and upheld the victory of APC candidate, Olajide.