ACN Vs PDP Tussle In Badagry: Tribunal Defers Verdict

The Local Government Election Petition Tribunal sitting at Tafawa Balewa Square, TBS, Lagos, Southwest Nigeria, this morning deferred till 27 July, 2012 its verdict on the chairmanship tussle between PDP candidate, Mustapha Adisa Dada and ACN candidate, Husitotude Moses Dosu.

Dada had challenged the election of ACN’s Dosu who was declared the duly elected Chairman of Badagry Local Government  Area during the election which took place on 22 October, 2011.

Anxious party supporters who stormed the venue of the tribunal’s sitting this morning were disappointed that the court did not sit at all. No reason was offered for the tribunal’s failure to sit.

In a petition filed before the Tribunal, Dada claimed he won the election and urged the court to declare him winner.

His counsel, Azeez Olagoke, told the tribunal that in the said local government election contested by five candidates of ACN, CPC, APGA, NNPP and PDP, Dada won by a majority lawful votes of 7,353 as against Dosu and ACN’s 6,353.

In his response, ACN and Dosu’s counsel, Ezekiel Afolayan argued that the petition is incurably defective and does not comply with condition stipulated by the Electoral Act.

Therefore, Afolayan urged the tribunal to dismiss the petition because it lacks merit, cannot be sustained and constituted a gross abuse of court process.

—Akin Kuponiyi