MICHAEL AKINOLA
The National Assembly Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital, on Thursday has affirmed the victory of Senator Solomon Olamilekan Adeola as the duly elected Senator for Ogun West Senatorial District in the last February 25 National Assembly election.
P.M.EXPRESS reports that the National Assembly Election Petition Tribunal, while delivering its judgement in the Senatorial Election Petition marked EPT/OG/Sen/2023, which was filed by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Senatorial Candidate, Chief Dada Ganiu Adeleke, the Justice Kabir Gabo led 3- man panel dismissed Adeleke’s petition for “lacking in merit.”
The Tribunal therefore, affirmed Senator Solomon Adeola of the All Progressives Congress, APC, as the validly elected Senator for Ogun West as declared by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
The Tribunal also held that the two witnesses called by the petitioner failed to give valid evidence to substantiate the allegations of the election not complying with the Electoral Act, Cconstitutional requirements and manual voting procedure.
The prayer of the petitioner that the victory of Senator Adeola be declared null, void and of no consequence could not stand or be granted due to its lack of merit according to the panel at the Tribunal.
The Tribunal went further to award the sum of N500, 000 against the petitioner in favour of the respondent.