The National Assembly Elections Petition Tribunal convened in Lagos has invalidated the victory of Seyi Sowunmi, the Labour Party (LP) candidate, as the House of Representatives representative for Ojo Federal Constituency in Lagos State.
Instead, the three-member tribunal, presided over by Justice Abdullahi Ozegya, has pronounced Lanre Ogunyemi, the candidate from the All Progressives Congress (APC), as the legitimate victor in the election held on February 25, 2023.
The remaining members of the panel are Justice Ashu Ewah and Justice Muhammad Sambo.
Ogunyemi, an incumbent state legislator with two terms under his belt and a former secretary of the APC in Lagos, mounted a challenge against the Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC) declaration of Sowunmi as the winner of the election. Ogunyemi’s claim rested on the premise that the respondent’s sponsorship and qualification to contest under the Labour Party’s banner for Ojo Federal Constituency were questionable.
In the ruling on the petition, the tribunal concurred with the petitioner’s argument that the Labour Party candidate lacked the qualifications to vie in the elections.
Consequently, the tribunal ruled that Sowunmi’s votes be regarded as null and void, affirming that the runner-up, Ogunyemi from the APC, should rightfully assume the mantle as the victor of Ojo Federal Constituency.
