The National/State Assembly Election Petitions Tribunal sitting in Benin on Thursday affirmed the election of Omoruyi Osaro of the Labour Party (LP) for the Egor/Ikpoba-Okha Federal Constituency of Edo.
In a unanimous Judgement by the three-member panel, led by Justice O. A. Chijioke, the tribunal dismissed the petitions of the candidates of the PDP, Mr Okhuarobo Henry and that of APC Mr Crosby Eribo for lack of merits.
Eribo had alleged that the LP candidate was a citizen of the U.S and his standing for election negated Section 77 of the Electoral Act, 2022 as well as Section 66 of the Constitution of Nigeria.
He also contended that Osaro was not validly nominated by the LP for the election, which by inference meant that the LP had no candidate in the election.
The tribunal held that the two petitioners could not prove a case of non-compliance with the electoral act, corrupt practices and non-qualification allegations against the LP candidate in the election.
Delivering the judgement, Justice O.A. Chijioke held that the petitioners failed to prove their cases, and thereby dismissed the petitions for lack of merit.
“We hold that the petitioners failed to prove any of the grounds raised in the petitions and the petitions are hereby dismissed for lack of merits, ‘’ he said.
The Justice Chijioke led election panel also resolved all the grounds and averred that the petitioners merely dumped documents on the tribunal without any probative value.
