Labour Party loses bid to upturn Dapo Abiodun’s election

Labour Party has lost its bid to nullify the election of Dapo Abiodun, governor of Ogun state.

The party lost the bid after the Ogun election petitions tribunal struck out the petition marked EPT/OG/GOV/03/2019.

The petition was filed by Modupe Sanyaolu and LP, her party, challenging the declaration of Abiodun winner of the governorship poll.

Abiodun contested the election under the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

The tribunal led by Yusuf Halidu said it struck out the petition in accordance to paragraph 46 (3) of the electoral act, 2010 as amended.

Halidu said since the petitioners failed to attend hearing of their petition, the tribunal lacked jurisdiction to reverse itself by re-listing the matter.

Wale Ajayi, counsel to Abiodun, said the tribunal did “the needful” by striking out the petition, adding that it 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,” Kunle Somorin, chief press secretary to the governor, quoted the lawyer as saying.

“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.”