Senator Bukola Saraki:

Senator Bukola Saraki’s  as the senator for Kwara central senatorial district has been upheld by the Election petition tribunal sitting in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital.

His election had been challenged by Alhaji Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq, who ran on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party in 28 March election.

The chairman of the tribunal, Justice Josiah Majebi, in a two-hour judgment  said the petitioner failed to prove his case that the election that produced Senator Saraki was characterised by electoral malpractices that could warrant the dismissal of the election.

“In accordance with the Electoral Act, any petition to election petition tribunal must be filed within the 21 days. But the petitioner failed to file his petition within the specified period of the time. Instead, it was filed outside the scheduled time. Thus, it lacked merit that can warrant the cancellation of the election,” Justice Majebi said.

In his reaction, the lead counsel to Senator Saraki, Mr. Kehinde Eleja (SAN) lauded the verdict, saying “it was an excellent ruling.”

Also speaking, the lead counsel to the petitioner, Mr. John Oshiagala, said they would study the ruling carefully.

Mr Oshiagala, who added that they had done their best, stated that “God gives power to those He pleases.”

The state chapter of the APC in its reaction to the ruling commended the judgment.
In a statement  by its publicity secretary, Alhaji Sulyman Buhari, the party said the judgment was an affirmation of the mandate freely entrusted with the Senate president by the good people of Kwara Central senatorial district.