The National and State House of Assembly Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Benin City, the Edo State capital, on Thursday, dismissed two petitions challenging the victory of two Labour Party candidates in the February 25 House of Representatives election for lacking in merit.
In one of the petitions, the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in that election, Mr Okhuarobo Osamuede and his party, had challenged the outcome of the election contending that the election of LP’s Murphy Omoruyi for Egor/Ikpoba Okha Federal Constituency.
Osamuede contended that the election was invalid by reason of corrupt practices, non-compliance with requirements of the Electoral Act 2022 as amended and that the first respondent, Murphy, was not qualified to contest the election as he was not a member of the 3rd respondent, the Labour Party.
But the Tribunal, in dismissing the petition, held that the petitioners did not prove any of the grounds of the petition.
In the petition filed by the All Progressives Congress (APC) and its candidate in that election, Eribo Crosby Osadolor, the tribunal also held that the petitioners failed to prove any of the grounds of the petition and the petition therefore failed.
The petition was also dismissed for lack of merit.
The Tribunal also dismissed the petition of Mr Sunday Aguebor of the PDP and his party against the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), candidate of the Labour Party in the February 25 House of Representatives election for Oredo Federal Constituency, Iyawe Aisosa, and the Labour Party for lacking in merit.
The petition was on the ground of non-compliance with the requirements of the Electoral Act 2022 as amended which the Tribunal held that they failed to prove as allegations of noncompliance are required to be proved polling unit by polling unit and ward by ward.