TheCable

The national assembly election petition tribunal has nullified the election of Seyi Sowunmi, a member representing the Ojo federal constituency in Lagos.

The three-member panel led by Abdullahi Ozegya on Thursday declared Lanre Ogunyemi, candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), as the winner of the election.

Other members of the panel are Ashu Ewah and Muhammad Sambo.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had in February declared Sowunmi as the winner of the Ojo constituency election.

Displeased with the outcome, the APC and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) approached the tribunal with suits challenging the victory of Sowunmi.

According to Channels Television, Ogunyemi had told the tribunal that Sowunmi was not duly sponsored and qualified to contest the elections on the platform of the LP.

On Wednesday, the tribunal, in a unanimous decision, dismissed the suit of Tajudeen Obasa, the PDP candidate, for “lacking merit” and being “frivolous”.

However, on Thursday, the tribunal agreed with the APC candidate that Sowunmi was not duly qualified to contest the election.

The tribunal declared the LP candidate’s votes wasted and ruled that the first runner-up — the APC candidate — ought to be declared the winner of the Ojo federal constituency election.

Sowunmi is the deputy chairman of the local content committee of the house of representatives.

In July, the election petition tribunal in Asaba, the Delta capital, removed Ngozi Okolie of LP as the lawmaker representing Aniocha/Oshimili constituency at the house of representatives.

The panel declared Ndudi Elumelu, candidate of the PDP, as the duly elected winner.