9th October, 2015
The Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Abeokuta in Ogun state, cancelled his election today.
Adesegun Abdel-Majid, 54 years old represented Ijebu East, Ijebu North and Ogun Waterside constituency.
Justice Tobi Ebimowei led three man tribunal panel ordered fresh election in 222 units where irregularities were noticed, following the successful challenge by Biyi Ismail of the APC.
Ismail had approached the court to declare him winner of the March 28 ,2015 National Assembly election in the state.
The tribunal stated that the petitioner presented 21 witnesses while the respondent called 15 witnesses.
The petitioner adduced that many irregularities and non compliance marred the election and thereby called for the annulment of the election.
The tribunal,having perused all the claims and evidences from both parties and after deduction of the votes from the 222 units where irregularities were noticed,declared that the petitioner still has more valid votes than the respondent.
Total votes adduced to the respondent after deduction was 14,371 while the respondent had 14,234. With the majority votes being a slim 137 votes the Judge said it was much lower than the cancelled votes.
He said,”Calculation and readjustment of the valid votes are substantial and affected the outcome of the election result. We are hereby nullified the return of the first respondent and set it aside.
“We therefore ordered that fresh election be conducted within 90 days of the delivering of the judgment,”he declared.
The verdict was part of the setbacks suffered by the Peoples Democratic Party in Ogun state today, as their APC counterparts have successfully upturned the party’s other victories in House of Assembly elections in Ijebu-Ode, Ijebu East, Ipokia and Ijebu North local government areas. Reruns have been ordered in polling units where irregularities were proven.
The election of Olujimi Otukoya of the PDP in Ijebu North East was,however,upheld.
In Ijebu Ode, Tola Banjo, a former deputy speaker had challenged the election of Wale Alausa of the PDP, alleging manipulation of the polls in some wards in the town. But in giving its verdict today, the Tribunal ordered rerun in 14 polling units in Wards 6 and 7 in the town, to determine the real winner.
Adejuwon O Oyenuga of the Peoples Democratic Party was declared the winner of the Ijebu East House of Assembly election last April. But the tribunal ordered that fresh election be conducted in 7 polling units where irregularities were noticed.