Delta-central: Tribunal dismisses Agoda’s petition

By Austin Oyibode

The three-man election petition Tribunal that sat over the petition of the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for the Delta Central Senatorial District election, Hon. Halims Agoda, dismissed it over his inability to prove the case beyond reasonable doubt.

The tribunal averred that the 1st respondent in the matter, the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Senator Ighoyota Amori, was duly elected on March 28 during the senatorial election in the state to represent the aforementioned district.

Agoda cried foul and dragged Amori to court shortly after he was declared the winner by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), having alleged that the exercise was riddled with fraud.

In the petition, Agoda claimed he polled the highest votes count and sought in his relief to be declared the winner.

He argued on the point of law that Amori and PDP agents masterminded and supervised the ballot box snatching, stuffing and over voting that marred the conduct of the election.

But delivering his judgement, which lasted for over two hours, amidst tight security in Asaba yesterday, the chairman of the tribunal, Justice Muhammed Umar, who said the petition was unable to satisfy the burden of proof which lies on him.

Justice Umar said Agoda’s inability to properly address his case as provided for in the Electoral Act, as amended, has hoodwinked his petition thereafter dismissed it for lack of sufficient proofs.