By Abdulwahab Abdulah & Bartholomew

Lagos—The Lagos  State National and State Houses of Assembly Elections Petition Tribunal sitting in Ikeja yesterday dismissed an application filed by candidate of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Tony Omotesho Akala-Bakare, who in the last elections (March 28 & 29) contested for the seat of   Eti-Osa Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives.

Akala-Bakare, in his application filed through his lawyer, Adegboyega Erinle, had asked the election tribunal to declare him winner of the said election that candidate of All Progressives Congress, APC, Jide Akinloye, was declared winner by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC.

Respondents in the matter are Jide Akinloye, APC and INEC.

Among others, the petitioners (Akala-Bakare and PDP) averred that there are 10 Registration Areas and 604 voting points in the Eti-Osa Local Government of Lagos State in which election was purportedly held by INEC on March 28 and 29, 2015.

The three-man-panel, led by Justice (Mrs) E.I. Ikponwonba, in a ruling, held that the petitioners failed to comply with the issuance of pre-hearing notice of filing within the statutory period as required by the Electoral Act 2010.

However, the Certified True Copy (CTC) was not available as at the time of report, though the petitioner’s lawyer said they are considering the option of appealing against the ruling.