The Labour Party (LP), again lost its bid to seek cancellation of the March 9 gubernatorial election in Ogun State on Saturday.
The Tribunal led by Justice Yusuf Halidu dismissed the matter while delivering verdict on Petition No EPT/OG/GOV/03/2019 BTW MRS MODUPE SANYAOLU LABOUR PARTY VS DAPO ABIODUN, APC & INEC.
According to the Tribunal the case stands dismissed on the ground that the tribunal had dismissed the Petition pursuant to the provisions of paragraph 46(3) of the Schedule to the Electoral Act, 2010 as amended.
The petitioners had failed to attend the hearing of the Petition initially filed.
Justice Halilu then ruled that it lacked jurisdiction to reverse itself by re-listing the Petition.
According to Wale Habeeb Ajayi, counsel to Governor Dapo Abiodun, “the Petition was dead on arrival. The labour party which did not submit the details of the Deputy Governorship candidate to INEC failed to raise any complaint before the election and failed to sue INEC before election now brought a pre election matter before the tribunal.
They also failed to appear at the tribunal on the date fixed for hearing of the frivolous petition on unfounded excuses. The tribunal has done the needful by dismissing the Petition in the first instance. Consequently, the application to relist lacks merits and tribunal rightly refused same.”
Kunle Somorin
Chief Press Secretary to the Governor of Ogun State