Tribunal affirms election of APC Rep for Akoko-Edo

On Monday, Peter Akpatason, a member of the All Progressives Congress (APC), was confirmed as the elected representative for Edo State’s Akoko-Edo federal constituency by the National and State House of Assembly Election Petition Tribunal in Benin.

Justice Yusuf Mohammed presiding over a three-member panel issued a ruling that found the appeal filed by Labour Party candidate Omobayo Godwin to be without merit and incompetent.

Independent National Electoral Commission (the “third respondent”) was found to have improperly declared Akpatason the winner of the election, according to the tribunal’s findings.

INEC said that Akpatason had received 14,982 votes, with Godwin receiving 7,992 votes, putting him in third place.

Dissatisfied with the declaration, he petitioned the tribunal to overturn Akpakpava’s recall, largely on the basis of alleged violations of the Electoral Act of 2022.

The tribunal also found no basis in the APC’s challenge to Esosa Iyawe’s election as representative for the Oredo federal seat.

Justice K. A. Leweanya, writing for the panel, found that the petition, which focused primarily on the qualification of the second respondent, Esosa Iyawe of the Labour Party, was outside the tribunal’s jurisdiction and so dismissed it.