The Edo State Election Petitions Tribunal sitting in Benin
City has voided the election of an APC lawmaker in the state, saying some
necessary conditions weren't fulfilled for his nomination by his party.
Gallant Sylvanus Peter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) was declared winner of the April 11, 2015 elections for Estako West II constituency of the Edo Stats House of Assembly.
Delivering judgment, Justice E. Abuua held that Jery Yakubu Gowon of the All Progressives Congress (APC) was not duly nominated by his party.
The tribunal held that the notice of intention to hold party primaries sent to INEC was less than the mandatory 21 days.
The tribunal further held that the notice of intention to hold primary was given on November 13, 2014 while the primaries was held on December 1st 2014, meaning the 21 days stipulated by the electoral laws was not met .
The tribunal therefore declared that all the votes casted for the APC candidate was wasted as a result of which the first runner up who had 4001 votes was the rightful person to be declared winner of the election.
However the State Publicity Secretary of the APC, Godwin Erhahon, said that all the candidates of the party were duly nominated.
He added that the party’s legal team would look into the judgement.
