The victory of Chief Buruji Kashamu of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, as the Senator-elect for the Ogun East senatorial election, held on the 28th of March, has been challenged by the Ogun State chapter of the All Progressives Congress, APC, by filling a petition before the state’s National Assembly Election Petitions Tribunal.
In the petition filed by its candidate in the election, Dapo Abiodun, the party, accused the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, of manipulating the result in its favour during the collation.
Kashamu defeated Dapo Abiodun of the APC and Adegbenga Kaka of the Social Democratic Party, SDP, to emerge victorious.
The PDP, the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC and the state Resident Electoral Commissioner, REC, for Ogun State were joined in the suit as 2nd, 3rd and 4th respondents.
In the petition, the APC candidate contended that Kashamu was not qualified to contest the election and that he didn’t score the highest number of lawful votes as required by the law.
According to the petitioner, he would be relying on form EC8E (1) to prove his case, alleging that Kashamu, his party, PDP, the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC and the state Resident Electoral Commissioner, failed to comply with all the electoral laws.
He is praying the court to declare among other things that “The 1st Respondent, Prince Buruji Kahamu, was not duly elected by majority of the lawful votes cast at the election and therefore did not meet the requirements of the law to be returned as winner of the election.
“The election of the 1st Respondent, Prince Buruji Kashamu, is invalid by reason of substantial non-compliance with the provisions of the Electoral Act 2015 (as amended), the Manual for Election Officials 2015, the guidelines issued for the conduct of the election and the law in the conduct of the election.
“The election of the 1st Respondent, Prince Kashamu is invalid by reason of corrupt practices and electoral malpractices perpetrated by the 1st Respondent in person and members and agents of the 1st and 2nd Respondents in the places mentioned in this petition.
“The 1st Respondent, Prince Buruji Kashamu was not qualified to contest the election.”
Abiodun further prayed the court to nullify the results from polling units or wards in which the required forms were not completed, dated, signed or stamped by the concerned officials.
Reacting to the petition, the media aide to Kashamu, Austin Oniyokor, said in a statement that his principal was prepared to meet any petitioner at the tribunal.
Oniyokor said: “The claims by the APC are totally unfounded. Ordinarily, we would not have dignified them with a response. You can see that the statement is loud in noise and lacking in substance. If they say there was rigging and manipulation during the election, they should supply the details, rather than hiding under some nebulous excuses that say nothing.”
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