The National/State House of Assembly Election Tribunal convened in Ikeja has upheld the legitimacy of Wasiu Eshilokun-Sanni’s election as the duly elected Senator representing Lagos Central Senatorial District, on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC).....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

In an unequivocal unanimous decision, the tribunal dismissed the petition brought forward by Abiodun Dabiri of the Labour Party (LP). The tribunal concurred with the arguments presented by Mr. Wahab Shittu (SAN), legal counsel for Eshilokun-Sanni, asserting that Dabiri’s petition lacked substantive merit….CONTINUE READING

The petition, marked as EPT/LAG/SEN/02/2023, was initiated on March 16, 2023, with Dabiri and the LP as the first and second petitioners, and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Eshilokun-Sanni, and the APC as the first, second, and third respondents.

Ikechukwu Uwanna, representing the petitioners, contended that INEC’s declaration of Eshilokun-Sanni as the victor in the Lagos Central Senatorial District Election, conducted on February 25, 2023, was invalid due to non-compliance with the Electoral Act.

Their primary contention was that INEC omitted the LP symbol and relevant information from the ballot papers, thereby rendering the election flawed.

The petitioners implored the tribunal to order INEC to annul the February 25 election and conduct a fresh poll, allowing the inclusion of their candidate, whose logo was absent from the ballot paper.

In response, Eshilokun-Sanni submitted a Preliminary Objection dated May 8, 2023, seeking the dismissal of the petition for incompetence.

Another Notice of Preliminary Objection was filed on May 18, requesting the removal of the Petitioner’s Reply, dated May 12 and filed on May 13, 2023.

Shittu’s preliminary objection was based on three key grounds. Firstly, it contended that Dabiri lacked the requisite standing to present the election petition as they were not a candidate in the February 25 election. Secondly, Dabiri was deemed ineligible to present the petition due to non-adherence to Section 133(1)(a) of the Electoral Act 2022.

Lastly, the grounds upon which the petition rested pertained to candidate sponsorship and nomination, constituting a pre-election matter that stands as invalid and incongruous with the Electoral Act 2022.

The tribunal’s decision serves as a reaffirmation of Eshilokun-Sanni’s successful bid for the Lagos Central Senatorial District seat, upholding the principles of the electoral process and the rule of law.