Ibarapa East LG Election : Court Upholds Election Results, Says Labour Party Petition Lacks merits

The Five Man Election Petition Tribunal on May 22 , 2021 Local Government Council Elections in Oyo State, headed by Hon.Justice Mojeed Oladimeji Ishola , on Friday upheld Ibarapa East local government election results as declared by Oyo State IndependentElectoral Commission (OYSIEC).

Following the petitions filed by the Chairmanship candidate of Labour party, Masolanu Adeola,that there were no elections known to law in the council .

The party also alleged that elections were full of violence in the area, adding that Peoples Democratic Party Candidate , Hon . Gbenga Obalowo, who was declared winner, by the Chief Returning officer, Oyo State Independent Elect oral Commission , Aare Isiaka Abiola Olagunju , SAN , did not get the majority votes, amongst other claims .

In the judgment delivered on Friday 30th July 2021 in Ibadan , the Oyo State capital , the court ruled in favour of respondents and nullified the petitions for inconsistency and non – availability of necessary proofs to set aside the election.

Speaking on the case , Counsel to the Oyo State Independent Electoral Commission ( OYSIEC ) Mr.Tunji Ogunrinde , hinted that Labour party could not provide duplicates of the results sheet to authenticate their allegation that results of election declared by OYSIEC were not correct .

Ogunrinde added that the party also failed to present the required numbers of witnesses before the Tribunal, while evidences of witnesses who attested for the Petitioner were contradictory.

According to him ” Minimum of 140 witnesses were expected to attest to claims of labour party but about 14 were called at the end. Some witnesses, affirmed that the elections were held , which started , 9:45am and ended 4pm, contrary to claim by the party that elections conducted were not known to law”

” Also , there is no prove of violence by witnesses which could call for fresh election as contained in the petition .Election was only disrupted in ward 5 , out of ten wards , which was cancelled by OYSIEC ”

” All these were put in to consideration by the court and concluded that their reliefs are not grantable because the petition lacks merit “