Tribunal upholds Oshiomhole’s election

Oshiomhole commends judgment, accuses Airviavbere of plan o manipulate the court The Edo State Governorship Election Petition tribunal on Wednesday upheld the election of Governor Adams Oshiomhole of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) in the July 14, 2012 gubernatorial election in the state, dismissing General Charles Airviavbere’s petition of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for lack of merit, substance and evidence. In a unanimous judgment read by the tribunal chairman, Justice Muazu Pindiga, the tribunal dismissed, Airhiavbere’s petition challenging the election of Oshiomhole and awarded N150,000 as costs against. In the judgment that lasted about one and half hours, the tribunal affirmed Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC)’s declaration of Oshiomhole as winner of the election. “We hold that the 1st respondent won the majority votes of 447,478 as against petitioner’s 144,235 votes. There was no infraction of the Electoral Act 2010 as amended to warrant the voiding of the election of Adams Oshiomhole”, the tribunal further held. Observing that the petitioner, Airhiavbere did not win any local government, even his unit in the election, the tribunal stated that if there was any election petition starved of evidence it was the instant petition.