Appeal Court nullifies Senate spokesman Dayo Adeyeye’s election

* Declares PDP’s Olujimi winner

The Kaduna Division of the Court of Appeal has nullified the
election of spokesman of the Senate, Senator Dayo Adeyeye.

The Appellate Court subsequently upheld the tribunal judgment
which declared Senator Biodun Olujimi and the candidate of the
Peoples Democratic Party as winner of the Ekiti South Senatorial
election held on February 23.

It would be recalled that the National Assembly Election
Petition Tribunal sitting in Ado Ekiti,Ekiti State had nullified
the election of Senator Dayo Adeyeye as the winner of Ekiti South
Senatorial district.

Subsequently, the tribunal in a unanimous verdict declared
former minority leader and the PDP candidate, Senator Biodun
Olujimi as winner of the senatorial poll.

Following the declaration of Adeyeye, the candidate of the APC
winner by the INEC in the February 23, 2019 senatorial election,
Olujimi had approached the tribunal, craving that she should be
declared winner.

She prayed the tribunal to annul votes in areas that were found
to be marked with irregularities like over voting, multiple thump
printing, ballot snatching, ballot stuffing and improper ballot
counting should be cancelled to know the winner of the poll.

But the respondents countered the submission, saying what INEC
did was right and constitutional, by declaring the candidate of the
APC the winner.

Delivering the judgement, the three -man tribunal, led by
Justice D.D. Adeck nullified the elections in some polling units to
declare Olujimi the winner of the polls.

The tribunal said Olujimi polled a total of 54,894 to emerge
victorious over Adeyeye who polled 52,243.

“We hereby declare the petitioner the winner and she is hereby
returned elected.

“We hereby direct the INEC to withdraw the certificate of return
from the respondent and issue same to the petitioner”, he said
.