4th September, 2023
By Jethro Ibileke
The National/State Assembly Election Petitions Tribunal sitting in Benin, on Monday dismissed the petition of Senator Francis Alimikhena of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), challenging the victory of Senator Adams Oshiomhole of the All Progressives Congress (APC), in the 25 February, 2023, Edo North Senatorial District election.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), had announced the former governor of the state as winner of the election.
Not satisfied with the declaration, Alimikhena filed a petition at the Tribunal seeking to upturn the result announced by the electoral umpire, in a suit numbered EPT/ED/SEN/02/2023.
Affirming the victory of Senator Oshiomhole, the three-man tribunal headed by Justice O.A. Chuioke, dismissed Senator Alimikhena’s petition for lacking in merit.
In a unanimous judgement on behalf of the tribunal chairman, Justice Chuioke, Justice Alero Akeredolu, held that the petitioners failed woefully to proved their case, adding that they cannot rely on weakness or strength of the respondents to prove their cases against Comrade Oshiomhole.
Again, Justice Akeredolu held that the petitioners also failed to tender before the tribunal any relevant document to prove a case of non -compliance as contained in their petitions.