The Election Petitions Tribunal sitting in Ibadan, on Monday upheld the election of Gov.Seyi Makinde of the Peoples Democratic Party ( PDP) as governor of Oyo.
The tribunal dismissed the petition of Chief Adebayo Adelabu, candidate of the All Progressives Congress,(APC) in the March 9, governorship election challenging the victory of Makinde in the poll.
News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports in a unanimous judgment delivered by Justice Sirajo Muhammed, held that the petitioners, Chief Bayo Adelabu and the APC, failed to prove their allegation beyond reasonable doubt.
The tribunal also awarded N200,000 each to Makinde, PDP and the Independent National Electoral Commission, (INEC).
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Adelabu had in the petition alleged corrupt practices, over voting, improper accreditation, inaccurate ballot counting and non-compliance with the 2010 electoral act as amended against Makinde and the PDP.
Sirajo had said that in the course of the hearing that 4,164 exhibits were tendered by the petitioner.
NAN reports that INEC had announced Makinde as the winner of the March 9, governorship election in Oyo State.
The petitioners had filed a petition challenging the declaration of Makinde by INEC as the winner of the election.
They prayed the tribunal to declare Adelabu the winner of the election having scored the highest number of lawful votes or nullify the election and order a rerun.
Meanwhile, one of the counsel to Adelabu, Akin Oladeji had noted on behalf of lead Counsel, that they would study the full judgment to know their next line of action after discussing with the gubernatorial candidate, Chief Adebayo Adelabu.
“Until we study the full judgment, then, we will know the next line of action.
“This judgment has just been delivered, and we need to look at everything which the court has decided upon and see whether to take it further,” he said.(NAN)
