Tribunal sacks Oyo PDP lawmaker, declares APC candidate winner

The National and State House of Assembly Election Petition
Tribunal in Oyo State, on Saturday, sacked the elected People’s
Democratic Party (PDP) lawmaker representing Irepo/Olorunsogo State
Constituency, Hon. Kazeem Olayanju.

The Tribunal subsequently ordered that the All Progressive
Congress (APC) candidate and petitioner Mustapha Ajibola Azeez be
sworn in as the winner of the February 23 , 2019 general election
.

In the petition number EPT/OY/SHA/30/2019, the APC candidate had
challenged the victory of Olayanju of the People’s Democratic Party
(PDP) in the election .

In the judgment, which lasted for three and a half hours, the
three-man panel of the tribunal, led by Justice Anthony Akpovi,
unanimously agreed that the declaration of the PDP candidate as
winner of the election was wrong while upholding the petition of
the APC candidate seeking for a declaration that he won the
poll.

The Tribunal further averred that the Independent National
Electoral Commission ( INEC ) erred in returning the PDP candidate
as winner of the election.

The judgment, read by Akpovi, said that the petitioner succeeded
to prove beyond reasonable doubt that the respondent did not win
the election.

Akpovi said that the allegations by the petitioner had merit,
especially with regard to the cancellation of results in Ward 3,
which it declared wrongful on the part of the electoral umpire.

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) won 28 out of the 34 seats in
the Oyo State House of Assembly while the ruling All Progressives
Congress (APC) won five seats.

The PDP won in Saki West, Ibadan West, Egbeda, Ibadan North,
Ibadan North East, Ibadan South East, Ibadan South West, Ibarapa
Central, Ibarapa North, Ibarapa East, Ido, Atisbo, Saki East, and
Irepo/Olorunsogo.

Others are Iseyin/Itesiwaju, Kajola, Iwajowa, Lagelu, Ogbomoso
North, Ogbomoso South, Oluyole, Ona-Ara and Oorelope, while APC won
in Oriire, Afijio, Oyo East and Oyo West , Ogo-Oluwa/ Surulere.