Ex-governor suffers defeat as Court of Appeal delivers ruling on NASS election

The Court of Appeal, Ibadan, on Friday dismissed the petition filed by the former Governor of Oyo State, Abiola Ajimobi, challenging the verdict of the Election Petition Tribunal on February 23 National Assembly Election for Oyo South.

The Election Petition Tribunal had upheld the victory of Sen. Kola Balogun (Oyo South).

Balogun polled a total of 105,720 votes to defect Ajimobi who had 92,218 votes.

Delivering judgment, Justice Haruna Tsammani, dismissed Ajimobi’s petition for lacking in merit.

Tsammani affirmed the decision of the tribunal, adding that the tribunal was right in it’s judgment.

The judge held that the petitioner does not have the right to raise the issue of non-qualification of the respondent based on the conduct of PDP primary.  

He further held that a person that does not participate in the party primary does not have the right to challenge the outcome of the primary.

Tsammani said a person is qualified to contest once such a person satisfied the condition of the party and INEC confirmed such a person.

The judge said most of the witnesses presented by the petitioner were not qualified to tender exhibits and give evidence because they are not the maker of those documents tendered.  

He said the tribunal was right in upholding the victory of Balogun and dismissed the petition.

Newsflash247 had earlier reported that the National and State Assembly election petition tribunal sitting in Oyo state on Tuesday, September 10, upheld the victory of Senator Kola Balogun of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for Oyo South Senatorial district in the February 23 National Assembly election.

The immediate past governor of Oyo state, Senator Abiola Ajimobi, had challenged the declaration of Balogun by INEC as the winner of the election.

Source: Newsflash247

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