Senator Yunus Akintunde has urged the National Assembly Election Petition Tribunal to dismiss a petition filed against him by Chief Bisi Ilaka for lack of merit.
This is contained in the joint final written address of the APC federal lawmaker, adopted today by his counsels before the election petition tribunal, sitting in Ibadan, Oyo State.
Chief Ilaka of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) had challenged the victory of Dr Akintunde of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the senatorial election held on 25 February in Oyo Central Senatorial District.
He and PDP subsequently dragged Akintunde, APC and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to the tribunal over his loss.
Akintunde, APC and INEC are the first, second and third respondent, respectively in the petition filed by Ilaka and PDP.
Ilaka and PDP had, through their counsels, Festus Adesiyan and Juwon Omigbodun, attributed their loss in the election to alleged corruption and over-voting.
Ilaka and the ruling party in the state therefore called for the cancellation of the February election and a rerun in the affected polling units in the senatorial district.
However, Senator Akintunde stated in the joint written address that the petitioners failed to prove the case of corruption against INEC and alleged over-voting in listed polling units.
“Forms EC 40 (G) produced in court was not issued by the Presiding Officer who is by law the only person who can cancel elections in a unit where there is over-voting or non-deployment of BVAS or violence,” he said.
The APC senator urged the tribunal to dismiss the petition die to lack of merit, adding that the petitioners failed to established any fact to justify the reliefs sought.
“This petition from Mr Bisi Ilaka and PDP is frivolous. It lacks merit and should be dismissed in the interest of justice,” Akintunde said.
The counsels to the first and second respondents were Kolawole Eleja, SAN; Mr Kazeem Gbadamosi, SAN, while the third respondent (INEC), was represented by I. A Yusuf.
