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Akinwande Soji-Ojo
The National and State Assembly Election Petitions Tribunal sitting in Ibadan, has ordered a rerun election in two polling units to determine the true winner of the Saki West State Constituency.
Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had declared Mr Shittu Ibrahim of the All Peoples Congress (APC) the winner of the March 18 election.
According to INEC, Ibrahim scored 13,692 votes to defeat hid main challenger and candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Mr Julius Okedoyin, who pulled 13,422 votes.
Dissatisfied with Ibarahim’s declaration, Okedoyin and the PDP approached the tribunal, alleging over-voting, irregularity, and non-compliance with electoral guidelines.
In a unanimous judgement delivered on Thursday, the three-man tribunal, held that the petition had merit and that the petitioners proved their allegations beyond reasonable doubt.
The chairman of thr tribunal, Justice Jubril Anaja, who read the judgement ruled that the cancellation of results in Ward 6, Unit 7 and Ward 11, Unit 19 of the constituency, with 1,285 voter cards collected, could substantially affect the outcome of the election.
He noted that margin of victory between the declared winner and the petitioner was 270 votes, adding that the number of voters disenfranchised in Ward 6, Unit 7 and Ward 11, Unit 19 was more than 1,000.
Anaja added that the over 1,000 voters disenfranchised by INEC in the affected units might have overturned the result if they were allowed to vote.
“The certificate of return issued to the first respondent (Ibrahim) by INEC is hereby set aside pending the rerun election to determine the winner of the election for the Saki West state constituency.
“INEC is hereby ordered to conduct a rerun election in Ward 6, Unit 7, and Ward 11, Unit 19 within 90 days,’’ Anaja declared.
Reacting, Ibrahim’s counsel, Mr Sikiru Adewoye, said his client would appeal the judgement while the petitioners’ counsel, Mr. Yusuf Ogunrinde, commended the tribunal for doing a good job.