Tribunal upholds Senator Buhari’s election, awards 150,00 cost against Mulikat Adeola

The Oyo State Election Petition Tribunal sitting at Iyaganku, Ibadan, on Tuesday upheld the election of Senator Fatai Buhari, representing Oyo North Senatorial District at the National Assembly, declaring that the petitioner failed to prove the allegations against Senator Buhari and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

The panel members including Justices Chinyere Ani and Sambo Daka and led by Justice Anthony Akpovi, ruled that the petitioner failed to prove any form of criminality, irregularities or over-voting in the election. They consequently dismissed the application and upheld Senator Buhari’s election.

Reading the judgment, Justice Daka, held that the petitioner is not entitled to the cost being requested and awarded the cost of N150, 000 as cost against Mulikat Adeola and in favour of Senator Buhari.

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The petitioner, Akande Mulikat Adeola had in her petition before the court, alleged that the results announced by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), was not the true representation of valid votes cast during the election.

To prove that the election was not free and fair, she called nine witnesses including INEC before the tribunal and tendered 96 exhibits.

The tribunal held that the testimony of some of the witnesses were hearsay as they only recounted what was told them, not what they witnessed personally as some of them were not present at polling units under dispute during elections.

INEC presented one witness in defence and tendered no exhibits while Senator Buhari had argued that the election was free and fair and the election results were a true representation of votes cast during elections.