The Oyo State National and State Houses of Assembly Election Petitions Tribunal sitting in Ibadan, on Tuesday, struck out a suit filed by the immediate past Governor of Oyo state, Senator, Abiola Ajimobi who is challenging the victory of Senator Kola Balogun in Oyo South Senatorial District.
Recalled that Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had in February 23 this year declared Balogun of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) winner of the election into the senatorial district.
But, Ajimobi who contested under the platform of All Progressives Congress (APC) not satisfied with the result, approached the election petition tribunal, praying the court to declare him, (Ajimobi) as the winner of the election.
But in its ruling on Tuesday, the court upheld the election of Balogun as the duly elected senator representing Oyo South Senatorial district.
The Tribunal chaired by Justice Anthony Akpovi upheld the election of Balogun.
The PDP candidate, Balogun defeated his closest rival, Abiola Ajimobi, with a vote difference of 13,141
The PDP candidate scored a total of 105,720 votes, while the candidate of the APC secured 92,579 votes as declared by the Returning Officer, Prof Kolawole Akinsola of the University of Ibadan in February this year.
Also, the same court on Tuesday upheld the election of Chairman Senate Committee on Land Transport, Abdulfatai Buhari, representing Oyo North in the National Assembly on the platform of All Progressives Congress (APC).
The unanimous judgement of the panel, read by Justice Sambo Daka, on the petition, marked EPT/OY/SEN/09/2019, said the petitioners Mulikat Adeola-Akande and the party that presented her for the National Assembly poll, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), failed to prove their petition beyond reasonable doubt. The panel also comprises Justice Anthony Akpovi (Chairman) and Justice Chinyere Ani.
The panel also awarded a cost of N150,000 against the petitioners, and refused to grant the request of the petitioners for damages.
Buhari, who served as chairman Senate Committee of ICT and Cybercrimes in the eighth National Assembly, won the election with over 18,338 votes to defeat Adeola-Akande as declared by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
