National Assembly Election Petitions Tribunal sitting in Ado Ekiti, Ekiti State has nullified the election of Senator Dayo Adeyeye as the winner of the February 23 National Assembly election in Ekiti South Senatorial District.
The tribunal in a unanimous verdict, therefore declared former Senate Minority Leader and the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Senator Biodun Olujimi, winner of the Senatorial District poll.
Justice Adeck added that apart from the nullification in some units, the outcome of the tribunal’s verdict was predicated on the recount of the ballots by the contending forces as granted by the court.
Justice Adeck said, for the petitioner to be so declared, she must prove those cases of criminal allegations of non-compliance with the provisions of the Electoral Act and other corrupt practices raised in her petition beyond reasonable doubt which he said she did.
The tribunal said in Ikere, Gbonyin and Emure Local Governments, the petitioner was able to prove cases of over voting and votes in those units were expunged from the ballot.
On the voting patterns, the tribunal said: “It is not tenable to say that marked ballots were not properly deposited in the boxes because when this did not happen, then it will lead to over voting and will affect counting at every level of collation.
“To avoid this pitfall, those elections must be expunged in order not to vitiate the electoral process. Therefore, after those votes were deducted, PDP was left with 54,894, while the respondent polled 52,243.
“The petitioner having polled the highest number of lawful votes should be declared the winner of the election.
“We hereby declare the petitioner the winner and she is hereby returned elected.
“We hereby direct the INEC to withdraw the certificate of return from the respondent and issue same to the petitioner”, he said