OSUN: After Sweeping Defeat Of APC, Senate Spokesman, Others Fail To File Petitions At Tribunal

The Senate spokesperson, Ajibola Bashir, failed to challenge his defeat in the Osun Central Senatorial election before the 21 days deadline for submission of petitions for the National Assembly election seats.

Based on provisions in the Electoral Act 2022, the time frame for filing the applications before the Osun State Election Petition Tribunal lapsed on March 18, 2023.

Bashir had lost his reelection bid to the candidate of Peoples Democratic Party, Olubiyi Fadeyi,

THE WHISTLER on Tuesday visited the Osun State High Court, Osogbo, where the tribunal is sitting and gathered that all APC candidates for the National Assembly seats did not file any petition except for one House of Representative candidate.

The secretary of the Tribunal, Barrister Mohammed Magaji, told our correspondent that they only received 14 petitions against elected members of the National Assembly.

He explained that the panel received 3 petitions for Senate seats while 11 petitions were filed for the House of Representatives seat by various political parties.

He noted that candidates of Action Alliance (AA) filed 12 petitions challenging 3 Senate and 9 House of Representatives seats.

Magaji added that the candidate of New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), Tijani Adekilekun, filed a petition against the winner of Ede/Ejigbo/Egbedore Federal Constituency seat, Bamidele Salam.

Magaji further disclosed that Benjamin Adereti of APC who contested for Ife Central/South/North and East Federal Constituency also filed a petition against the PDP candidate.

It could be recalled that APC leadership in the state through its Acting Chairman, Tajudeen Lawal, alleged that PDP rigged the National Assembly elections.

Bashir had also vowed to challenge the outcome of the election because he was allegedly rigged out.