Tribunal Strikes Out Petition Against Obaseki’s Re-election

The Edo State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal has dismissed a petition filed by the Action Alliance (AA) challenging Governor Godwin Obaseki’s re-election.

The Tribunal dismissed the suit challenging Governor Obaseki’s victory in the September poll in a unanimous ruling delivered on Friday in Benin City, the state capital.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), the platform on which Governor Obaseki sought re-election were joint respondents to the petition.

Eko Hot Blog gathers that counsel to the petitioners, Steven Osaigbovo, was not present in court when the case was called.

Read also: Obaseki’s Cert Forgery: Court To Rule On Indefinite Adjournment Request

The Tribunal, in its ruling, held that in the petition against the first and second respondents, the petitioners failed to file the pre-hearing notice.

As a result, it ruled that the petitioners were deemed to have abandoned the petition and, thereafter, dismissed the suit.

Also, in the petition filed against the third respondent, the Tribunal held that the pre-hearing notice was not filed within the appropriate time-frame by the petitioners.

It, therefore, struck out the petition.