Tribunal Sacks Senate Spokesman, Declares PDP’s Olujimi Winner

The Ekiti State National Assembly Election Petitions Tribunal has sacked the Chairman, Senate Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Senator Dayo Adeyeye, of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Naija News gathered that the tribunal-led by Justice Danladi Adeck declared the former Senate Minority Leader, Senator Biodun Olujimi of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as the winner of the February 23 election in Ekiti South Senatorial District.

Delivering judgement, Justice Adeck cancelled some polling units election which left Senator Olujimi with 54,894 votes to defeat Adeyeye, who polled 52,243 votes.

He based the tribunal’s verdict on nullification in some units and recount of the ballots by the contending forces as granted.

He said, “In Ikere, Gbonyin and Emure local governments, the petitioner was able to prove cases of over-voting and votes in those units were expunged from the ballots.

“It is not tenable to say that marked ballots were not properly deposited in the boxes because when this did not happen, then it will lead to over voting and will affect counting at every level of collation.

“To avoid this pitfall, those elections must be expunged in order not to vitiate the electoral process. Therefore, after those votes were deducted, PDP was left with 54,894 while the respondent polled 52,243.

“The petitioner having polled the highest number of lawful votes should be declared the winner of the election. We hereby declare the petitioner the winner and he is hereby returned elected. We hereby direct the INEC to withdraw the Certificate of Return from the respondent and issue same to the petitioner.”