By David Olalekan.
Senator Adedayo Adeyeye of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has been sacked as the senator representing Ekiti South Senatorial District by the National Assembly Election Petitions Tribunal sitting in Ado Ekiti.
The tribunal, in a unanimous verdict today, declared the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Senator Biodun Olujimi, winner of the election.
Senator Olujimi, who’s a former Senate Minority Leader challenged Adedeye’s victory at the tribunal asking that she be declared winner instead, having claimed to have scored the highest number of lawful votes.
In its ruling today, the Justice D.D. Adeck-led three-man tribunal nullified elections in some polling units to declare Olujimi the authentic winner of the election.
It stated that Sen. Olujimi polled a total of 54,894 to beat Adeyeye who polled 52,243.
“It is not tenable to say that marked ballots were not properly deposited in the boxes because when this did not happen, then it will lead to over voting and will affect counting at every level of collation.
“To avoid this pitfall, those elections must be expunged in order not to vitiate the electoral process. Therefore, after those votes were deducted, PDP was left with 54,894, while the respondent polled 52,243.
“The petitioner having polled the highest number of lawful votes should be declared the winner of the election.
“We hereby declare the petitioner the winner and she is hereby returned elected.
“We hereby direct the INEC to withdraw the certificate of return from the respondent and issue same to the petitioner”, the ruling read in part.
Recall that the National Assembly Election Petitions Tribunal sitting in Abia State on Monday, nullified the election of the Senate Chief Whip, Dr. Orji Uzor Kalu.