Tribunal upholds TOD election

The National and State assembly Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Abeokuta on Monday dismisses the petition filed by the PDP, Bankole Odunjo against the election of Senator Tolu Odebiyi.

The tribunal held that the petition lacked merit and therefore upheld the election of TOD as the senator to represent Ogun West District.

The Chairman of the Three-man Election Petition Tribunal, Hon Justice Alkali Gana while reading the judgement said that the complaints by the PDP petitioner that the election of Senator Tolu Odebiyi was marred with irregularities and non-compliance with relevant sections of the Electoral Act cannot be sustained

He noted that the accounts of most of the witnesses presented by the petitioner were filled with inaccuracies and hearsay.

The tribunal pointed out that most of the witnesses ” didn’t personally witness the alleged offences but relied on hearsay’.

The tribunal therefore dismissed the PDP petition as incompetent and upheld the election of APC candidate, Senator Odebiyi.

The two other judges agreed with the judgement.

The tribunal also dismissed the petition against the member Representating Ado-Odo /Ota federal constituency, Hon Jimoh Ojugbele.
The tribunal held that the petition was filed outside the date stipulated by the law for such complain to be filed which made the petition statute-barred.