The National Assembly Elections Petition Tribunal sitting in Ikeja, Lagos, on Monday upheld the elections that produced two Labour Party candidates, Jesse Okey-Joe Onuakalusi and Olawande George as winners of the Oshodi-Isolo Federal and Amuwo-Odofin Federal Constituencies.
Recall that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declared the LP candidate as the winner of the election after he polled 29,386 votes to defeat the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Ganiyu Johnson, who garnered 16,650 votes in the exercise.
Johnson, who represented the constituency from 2019 to 2023, had challenged the election outcome over alleged fraud. But the tribunal on Monday ruled that Jesse Okey-Joe Onuakalusi and Olawande George were validly elected.
In a press statement released on Monday, Olubunmi Odesanya, Lagos Publicity Secretary Labour Party, described the tribunal’s decisions as great joy, adding that the judgements showed the impartiality of the judicial system in election petitions.
The statement reads: “It is with great joy that we celebrate the victories of our own sitting Honourable Members of the House of Representatives in the persons of Honourable Okey-Joe Onuakalusi and Honourable Wande George as the National Assembly Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Ikeja Lagos upheld their elections as Members representing Oshodi-Isolo II and Amuwo-Odofin Federal Constituencies at the National Assembly Abuja.
“This verdict affirms Labour Party belief that indeed our Judiciary can still dispense justice without fear or favour.
“It is our strong belief that our Nation, Nigeria, can still be salvaged with the right people in the right institutions of the State. We at Labour Party commend the Tribunal Judges for dispensing this fair and truthful judgement.