Assembly Poll: Osun, Oyo Tribunals Receive 34 Petitions

The Election Petitions Tribunal that will hear cases emanating from the National and state Assembly elections in Osun State has received no fewer than 14 petitions, while its counterpart in Oyo State received 20 petitions on Tuesday.

In Osun, all the petitions received were against the victory of the candidates of the Peoples Democratic Party, who won the three senatorial seats and nine House of Representatives seats in the February 25 elections.

Speaking with The PUNCH at the office of the tribunal located on the premises of Osun State High Court, Osogbo on Tuesday, the secretary of the panel, Mohammed Magaji, said all the three senatorial petitions were filed by the Action Alliance against the three PDP senators-elect.

Magaji said the AA was also challenging all the nine Reps seats won by the PDP, while the All Progressives Congress was challenging outcome of one House of Representatives election.

Magaji also said New Nigeria People’s Party was challenging the result of one House of Representatives seats.

He, however, said there was no petition yet on the March 18 House of Assembly elections, adding that, “sitting of the panel will commence immediately all petitions are in and other processes completed.”

He said, “So far, we have 14 petitions in total. Action Alliance has filed three senatorial petitions and nine against House of Representatives result. New Nigeria People’s Party and the All Progressives Congress both filed one petition each for House of Representatives.”

In Oyo, the National Assembly Election Petition Tribunal told the News Agency of Nigeria that it had received 20 petitions from aggrieved political parties and their candidates in the state as of Tuesday.

The tribunal secretary, Mr Ibrahim Sada, said the petitions were filed within the 21-day period allowed by law.

Sada said of the 20 petitions, six were on senatorial election and while 14 emanated from the House of Representatives polls.