18th February, 2014
Jethro Ibileke/Benin
Edo state local government election petition tribunal has nullified the election of Samuel Oboh, an All Progressives Congress (APC) chairmanship candidate in the October 22, 2013 election in Esan North East local government area of the state.
The tribunal ordered EDSIEC to conduct a re-run election into the chairmanship position in accordance with the state local government electoral act.
The Edo State Independent Electoral Commission (EDSIEC), had declared the APC candidate winner of the election with a total of 12,672 votes as against PDP candidate who polled 3,314.
Not satisfied with the election result declaration by EDSIEC, candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), John Yakubu approached the tribunal, seeking to upturn the result in his favour.
Justice Alero Eruaga who read the judgement that lasted over three hour, declared that the PDP candidate was able to prove that there was no collation of results at the election.
He said election entails accreditation of voters, voting, collation and announcement of election result, noting that an absence of any of the components made election null and void.
According to Justice Eruaga, all evidences presented before the three-man tribunal by EDSIEC officials who participated in the conduct of the election revealed that there was no collation of results in nine wards where election took place before the final announcement by the chairman of the commission in Benin City.
She said result of the elections ought to have been announced at Eguare primary school after collation at the same venue by the returning officer in the council.
The APC candidate in his reaction, said the party would appeal the judgment while the PDP candidate described the judgment as a “partial carry over” of what transpired at the election day.