Tribunal affirms the election of senator Tinubu

The National Assembly and State Houses of Assembly Elections Petition Tribunal sitting in Ikeja yesterday affirmed the declaration of Senator Oluremi Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as winner of Lagos Central senatorial seat.

The three-man tribunal led by Justice Kunaza Hamidu, held that the petition challenging the election of Oluremi Tinubu failed, as it did not establish any prima facie case against her.

The tribunal declared: “The petition lacked merit and is hereby dismissed. 

Senator Oluremi Tinubu pulled a total number of 131,725 votes to defeat Chief Adesunbo Onitiri of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) who was said to have scored 89,107 votes on the February 23, 2019 National Assembly elections.

Onitiri had filed a petition at the tribunal challenging the declaration of Senator Tinubu as the winner of the polls by INEC.

He said that INEC ought to have declared him (Onitiri) the winner of the elction instead of Tinubu, claiming that he scored the highest votes cast at the election.

But in their defence, Senator Tinubu, APC and INEC through their counsel, Ezekiel Ashade and Busayo Onabanjo, refuted all the allegations contained in the petition, describing them as unfounded fabrications.

The three-man tribunal, held that the petitioner failed to substantiate and give details of all allegations raised against the election of Senator Tinubu.

Therefore, the tribunal declared that the National Assembly election from which Senator Tinubu emerged winner was held in accordance with the electoral act and other relevant laws.