The election of Governor of Ogun State, Ibikunle Amosun has on Friday been affirmed by the Ogun State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal sitting in the state capital, Abeokuta.
The Peoples Democratic Party candidate in the April 11, 2015 election, Gboyega Isiaka, had approached the tribunal urging it to set aside the election in 9 out of the 20 Local Government Areas of the state on grounds of ballot-box snatching and stuffing, fraud, and blatant rigging.
The petitioner further urged the court to set aside the election of the All Progressives Congress candidate Gov. Amosun and declare him the winner, having won the highest number of valid votes in the election.
However the three-man panel led by Justice Henry Olusiyi discountenanced the petitioner’s claims, describing them as unsubstantiated and lacking adequate proof.
In the judgement delivered by Justice Olusiyi, the tribunal held that: “Whereas the petitioner alleged malpractices in nine local government areas, he gave evidence in only 12 out of the entire 1,672 poling units of the nine local governments.
“He has also failed to show that the alleged non-compliance of the polls with the Electoral Act 2010, as amended, substantially affected the overall result of the election.
“The petition is long in allegations but pitiably short in evidence to prove them.
“The petitioner has failed to prove his case against the respondents either on balance of probability or beyond reasonable doubt.
“The election petition filed by the petitioner on April 30, 2015 against the return of the 1st respondent lacks merit and it is accordingly dismissed.
“The election of the 1st respondent and the Governor of Ogun State on the platform of the 2nd respondent in the April 11, 2015 poll are hereby affirmed.”