AKINWALE ABOLUWADE
Senator Yunus Akintunde, representing Oyo Central Senatorial District, has urged the National Assembly Election Petition Tribunal to dismiss the petition filed against him by Chief Bisi Ilaka and the Peoples Democratic Party on the ground that it lacks merit.
Dr Akintunde’s prayer to the tribunal was contained in the joint final written address adopted on Tuesday by his counsels before the lordships sitting at the tribunal in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital.
Akintunde, the APC and the Independent Electoral Commission are first, second and third respondents respectively in the petition filed by Ilaka and the PDP.
Recall that Ilaka, the PDP Senatorial candidate for Oyo Central Senatorial District in the February 25 National Assembly election, dragged Akintunde, the APC and the INEC to the tribunal following his loss.
Ilaka and the PDP had, through their counsels, Festus Adesiyan and Juwon Omigbodun, linked their loss in the election to corruption and over-voting.
Ilaka and the PDP had, through the counsels, called for cancellation and rerun of election in the affected polling units.
In the joint written address, Akintunde said that the petitioner had failed to prove the case of corruption against INEC and alleged over-voting in the listed polling units beyond reasonable doubt.
He stated that “Forms EC 40 (G) produced in court was not issued by the presiding officer who is by law the only person who can cancel elections in a unit where there is over-voting or non-deployment of BVAS or violence.”
Therefore, he urged the lordships to dismiss the petition based on lack of merit, stressing that the petitioners were unable to establish credible fact to justify the reliefs sought.
Akintunde said, “This petition from Mr Bisi Ilaka and PDP is frivolous. It lacks merit and should be dismissed in the interest of justice.”
Counsels to the first and second respondents were Kolawole Eleja, SAN; and Kazeem Gbadamosi, SAN, while the third respondent (INEC) was represented by I. A Yusuf.
