Oyo LG Election Petition: Tribunal Dismisses APC, SDP Petitions For Incompetence

The Oyo State Local Government Council Election Petition Tribunal sitting in the High Court of Justice, Ring Road, Ibadan has dismissed the petition filed by Abdul Wasiu Danladi Andy Ajao and the Social Democratic Party (SDP), Omotosho Olayode and All Progressive Congress (APC) on the elections conducted on the 27th April , 2024 .

In the judgement delivered on the 3rd day of July, 2024 by the Election Petition Tribunal, headed by Honourable Justice A. L Akintola, ruled that the petitions were incompetent and statute barred.

The respondents to the case with petition number : LGET/OY/01/2024 were Rafiu Omotosho, Peoples’ Democratic Party ( PDP) and Oyo State Independent Electoral Commission and Segun Onifade.

Also, Ayobami Akinwole Akinleye , the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Oyo State Independent Electoral Commission (OYSIEC) were respondents to the suit with petition number: LGET/0Y/02/2024.

Part of the contentions by the petitioners was that the election did not hold in Akinware Akindele Constituency, ward 3 and no result of parties declared .

However, the tribunal said the contention was misleading and unfounded, stressing that the Oyo State Independent Electoral Commission (3rd Respondent) conducted election throughout all the Local Government Areas within Oyo State on the 27th day of April , 2024 and declared the results of the election on the 28th day of April, 2024 where the first Respondent was declared winner.

The judgement read : “The Tribunal holds that this election petition was filed after the prescribed period of 14 days, the preliminary objection of the 3rd Respondent is therefore meritorious “

“On ground of the petition ( ground 1) is valid and competent, while the other ground ( ground 2) is invalid and incompetent for failure to state the scores of the candidates in the election as mandated by paragraph 5 (1) (c) of schedule 3 to the State Independent Electoral Commission law 2,000”

” The Tribunal holds that the ground one of the petition cannot sustain the petition in view of the putrid nature of the ground two”

The Tribunal states further : “The first issue has been resolved in favour of the 1st and 2nd respondents, the petition held to be statute barred, and some dismissed.

“It will amount to a mere academic exercise if the tribunal embarks on the consideration of the issue of non- joinder of a party. Therefore, the tribunal considers such an exercise otiose and amount to a sheer waste of valuable judicial time .
“ In conclusion, this application succeeds, and the petition is accordingly hereby dismissed”