Appeal Court Orders Retrial Of Petition Seeking To Upturn Melaye's Election

BEVERLY HILLS, July 31, (THEWILL) – The Court of Appeal in Abuja Friday set aside the decision of the National Assembly Election Petition Tribunal in Kogi which struck out the petition of Senator Smart Adeyemi of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) challenging the election of Sen. Dino Melaye of All progressives Congress (APC).

Adeyemi had alleged electoral irregularities and malpractices in the election.

Justice Muhammed Adume held that the tribunal was wrong in striking out Adeyemi's petition on the grounds of technicalities, instead of substantial justice.

The appellate court, therefore, remitted the case to the tribunal for “trial on merit.”

The court further held that the decision of the tribunal that Adeyemi did not file his petition within the time frame allowed by law was wrong and nullified it forthwith.

Adume said the respondents did not provide sufficient evidence before the tribunal that the petition was filed late.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that the tribunal had dismissed the petition of Adeyemi, a one-time National President, Nigeria Union of Journalist (NUJ) for late filing.

The tribunal Chairman, Justice Akon Ikpeme, had in his ruling of June 18, held that the Kogi West ex-Senator's case was “incurably defective.”