The victory of Femi Gbajabiamila has been cemented by the Lagos State National Assembly Election Petitions Tribunal today in the face of a petition by the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Tony Ashikodi.
Femi Gbajabiamila
The Lagos State National Assembly Election Petitions Tribunal on Friday upheld the declaration of Femi Gbajabiamila as the winner of the March 28, 2015 House of Representatives election in the Surulere Federal Constituency 1.
The Justice C.U Anwuka-led three-man tribunal rejected the petition challenging the victory of Gbajabiamila and his party, the All Progressives Congress in the said election.
Gbajabiamila, who is now the Majority Leader of the House of Representatives, had been declared winner of the said election by the Independent National Electoral Commission after polling 21, 715 votes.
The candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Tony Ashikodi, who polled 14, 550 votes to emerge the first runner-up, had however headed for the tribunal to challenge Gbajabiamila’s victory.
Ashikodi had alleged irregularities and a breach of the guidelines set out by the INEC for the conduct of the election. The panel rejected Ashikodi’s testimony that there were multiple irregularities when he was not personally present at the collation centre.
Gbajabiamila’s counsel, Dele Adeogun, had urged the tribunal to dismiss the petitioner’s case, saying the petitioner’s counsel misrepresented facts and misconceived the law.