The Senator representing Oyo South in the National Assembly, Sharafadeen Alli, has declared that the petition against his victory filed by Joseph Tegbe is baseless and frivolous.
Media Talk Africa reports that Alli contested on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Tegbe, on the other hand, contested and won on the platform of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
But, Tegbe had challenged the victory of the APC candidate at the tribunal.
Tegbe, in his petition, called for the cancellation and rerun of the election in 45 polling units in the district.
The APC candidate, Alli, has, however, urged the National Assembly Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Ibadan, the state capital, to dismiss the petition filed against him by Tegbe.
Alli made this submission in a joint final written address written by him, his political party, the APC, and adopted on Thursday by his counsels before the tribunal.
Alli, in the joint address, said the petitioner had failed to establish that he did not score the majority of votes cast at the election.
He described Tegbe’s action as a mere academic exercise.
“We cannot be dragged into dissipating energy to disprove a petition that has not been proven.
“The petitioner’s witness clearly fell below the standard expected to sustain the reliefs sought in this petition, having cross-examined the witnesses of the petitioners.
“The respondent has extracted sufficient evidence that nailed the coffin of the petition of the petitioner, which in law was dead on arrival.
“We, therefore, urge your lordships to disregard the argument of the petitioners and dismiss the petition with substantial cost”.
