Oshiomhole Floors Alimhenkhena At Election Petition Tribunal

The National Assembly/State Assembly Election Petition Tribunal, sitting in Benin City, the Edo State capital, on Monday, dismissed the petition filed against the emergence of former Edo state governor Comrade Adams Aliyu Oshiomhole as Senator representing Edo North Senatorial District. 

The petition was filed by former Senator representing Edo North Senatorial District, Francis Alimhenkhena of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in the February 25, 2023 election. 

Sen Alimhenkhena represented by Rasak Isenalume, Esq, filed the petition against Oshiomhole, alongside the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, and All Progressives Congress, APC. 

In the suit NO: EPT/ED/SEN/02/2023, Sen Alimhenkhena prayed the tribunal to declare Oshiomhole's election as null and void, having failed to substantially comply with relevant electoral laws.

He also prayed the tribunal to declare him winner of the election. 

He further prayed the tribunal to nullify the election of the former APC National Chairman over alleged non-transmission of election results through the use of BVAS machine to IREV Portal.

He prayed that on the alternative to declaring him winner of the election, the tribunal should order a rerun of the election over what he described as the nonsubstantial compliance with the law.

Sen Oshiomhole, on the other hand, prayed the tribunal to dismiss the case of the petitioners for lack of merit. 

In a unanimous judgement, the tribunal ruled that the petitioner failed woefully to prove its case, adding that it could not rely on weakness or strength of the respondents to prove their cases against Oshiomhole.

The tribunal also ruled that the petitioners equally failed to tender any relevant document to prove it's non-compliance case as filed.

It therefore dismissed the case in its entirety.