Edo Election Tribunal Upholds Akpatason’s Election

BENIN—THE Edo State Election Petition Tribunal, headed by Justice A. Ozoemena, has upheld the election of the candidate of All Progressives Congress, APC, for the Akoko Edo House of Representatives seat, Mr Peter Akpatason, in the March 28, National Assembly elections, after it struck out the petition against Akpatason by the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Mr Oladele Bankole-Balogun, for lack of merit.

The tribunal, in its ruling after arguments by counsel to parties, faulted the joint petition filed by the PDP and its candidate, Bankole-Balogun, noting that the failure by the PDP to sign the petition before the tribunal was a clear negation of the Electoral Act.

Justice Ozoemena, held: “As it seems, there is no petition before the tribunal since there was no attempt by the PDP or its agents to sign on behalf of the party. The petition lacks merit and is, therefore, struck out in its entirety.”
The tribunal also considered the allegation against some persons in the petition. Bankole had alleged in his petition that the persons he named in the petition were involved in alleged manipulation of the results of the election and perpetrated violence.

Striking those paragraphs from the petition, the tribunal pointed that “The offences levelled against these persons are criminal in nature and in such a situation, the affected persons are supposed to be joined in the petition because the law says such persons should be joined as necessary parties.
“In this case, they were not joined in the petition and it will be wrong to give judgment when the persons are not given the opportunity to defend themselves. The paragraphs are, therefore, struck out,” the tribunal held.