The National Assembly Election Petitions Tribunal sitting in Ikeja, will on September 29, 2015 give judgment in a petition filed by the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, candidate in Surulere Federal Constituency I of Lagos State, Mr. Tony Ashikodi, challenging the declaration of the House of Representatives Majority leader Olufemi Gbajabiamila of the All Progressives Congress, APC, as the winner of the March 28, 2015 poll.
The three-man panel, lead by Justice C.U Anwuka fixed the date after listening to the submission and adopting the final written address by parties counsels.
Ashokodi, through his lawyer Mr. Kalu Onuah, is challenging the victory of Gbajabiamila and alleged irregularities during the election, which he said, breached the provisions of Independent National Electoral Commission’s, INEC, approved guidelines for the polls.
At the resumed hearing of the matter yesterday, the petitioner’s counsel submitted that Gbajabiamila was not duly elected or returned by the majority of lawful votes cast at the election.
He urged the court to void the election by reason of manifest breach and violation of the Electoral Act 2015 Election Guidelines, adding that a fresh election should be ordered and to be conducted by the INEC for the constituency.
The petitioner had alleged irregularities in the conduct of the election, stating that “the final figures in the tally of results the Form EC 8C(i) were cancelled and altered with a view of declaring Gbajabiamila the winner of the election.
He also said the 14,351 received by the APC candidate was whimsically changed to 21,715 while 16,079 earlier recorded for petitioner was changed to 14,550.”
Vanguard
