Tribunal sacks Kashamu (Updated)

The Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Isabo, Abeokuta, Ogun State has nullified the election of Senator Buruji Kashamu representing Ogun East Senatorial District.

The tribunal’s chairman, Justice Tobi Ebiowei, ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to conduct fresh elections in 110 polling units in eight local governments in the Ogun East Senatorial District within the next 90 days.

The elections of a member of the House of Representatives and five other House of Assembly members on the platform of the PDP were also nullified.

The All Progressives Congress candidate, Mr. Dapo Abiodun, had dragged Kashamu before the tribunal alleging that irregularities and malpractices characterised the March 28 election won by Kashamuwhich he also said failed to comply with the 2010 Electoral Act.

Justice Ebiowei, who led a three-man panel to deliver the verdict, also ordered INEC to take into cognisance during the conduct of the fresh polls the 146,533 valid votes cast during the March 28, 2015 National Assembly polls in the Ogun East Senatorial District.

Justice Ebiowei said, “We do not feel comfortable to nullify elections in Ogun East when 146,533 votes are valid because of 37,008 unlawful votes.”

But Kashamu’s media aide, Austin Oniyokor, said the tribunal did not sack his principal, but only ordered a rerun in 110 units in the senatorial district.

He said, “We are going to test the veracity of the tribunal’s verdict at the Court of Appeal. The tribunal has given its judgement, but it is not the end of the road. That is the beauty of the judicial process.”

The tribunal also annulled the election of Mr. Adekoya Adesegun, the member representing Ijebu North/Ogun Waterside/Ijebu East Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives and ordered INEC to conduct a fresh election in 222 polling units of the constituency within the next 90 days. Adesegun is also a PDP candidate.

Concerning the petitions arising from the state House of Assembly election on April 11, the tribunal ordered the conduct of fresh polls in Ijebu-Ode, Ijebu East, Ipokia, Ijebu North 1 and Egbado North 2 state constituencies.

The tribunal ordered rerun in 14 polling units in Wards 6 and 7 in Ijebu Ode constituency where a former Deputy Speaker of the State Assembly, Tola Banjo, challenged the election of Wale Alausa.

While giving its verdict on the Ijebu East House of Assembly election won by PDP’s Adejunwon Oyenuga, the tribunal ordered the conduct of fresh elections in seven units where allegations of irregularities were proved.

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