Toba Owojaiye reporting
On September 7, 2023, the Election Petitions Tribunal in Benin City delivered a unanimous judgment, led by Justice O. A. Chijioke, dismissing the petitions filed by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the All Progressives Congress (APC). The tribunal affirmed the election victories of Mr. Omoruyi Osaro for the Egor/Ikpoba-Okha Federal Constituency and Mr. Iyawe Aisosa for Oredo Federal Constituency, both representing the Labour Party (LP).
The tribunal’s decision stemmed from its conclusion that the PDP and APC petitioners, Mr. Okhuarobo Henry and Mr. Crosby Eribo, failed to substantiate their claims of electoral non-compliance, corrupt practices, and qualification issues against the LP candidates. Justice Chijioke, delivering the judgment, stated that the petitioners did not provide sufficient evidence to support their claims, leading to the dismissal of their petitions.
Henry and Eribo had contested the eligibility of Osaro to run for election, alleging non-compliance with the Electoral Act, 2022, and dual nationality. Eribo specifically claimed that Osaro’s U.S. citizenship disqualified him from running, and that Osaro was not validly nominated by the LP.
Similarly, Osamuede and the PDP challenged Osaro’s victory for Egor/Ikpoba-Okha Federal Constituency, citing corrupt practices and non-compliance with electoral requirements. The tribunal, however, ruled in favor of Osaro, asserting that the petitioners failed to substantiate their allegations.
In a related case, the tribunal dismissed the petition of Mr. Sunday Aguebor and the PDP against the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and Mr. Iyawe Aisosa, the LP candidate for Oredo Federal Constituency. Aguebor alleged non-compliance with the Electoral Act, but the tribunal ruled that there was insufficient evidence to support these claims, resulting in the dismissal of the petition.
Overall, the tribunal found that the petitioners’ cases lacked merit, leading to the dismissal of all petitions and the affirmation of the LP candidates’ election victories.