.jpeg "Oyo South: The tribunal dismisses the senator Sharafadeen Alli petition")
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) certified Alli as the victor of the election that took place on Saturday, February 25, 2023.
Alli obtained a total of 111,513 votes, whereas Tegbe secured 92,481 votes.
Tegbe, expressing dissatisfaction with the outcome, then lodged a petition against Alli's electoral triumph before the election petition tribunal.
Tegbe formally requested the three-member panel, presided over by Justice A. M. Yakubu, to mandate a repeat of the election. The individual claimed that Alli did not receive the majority of valid votes in the election, thereby indicating a violation of the electoral laws.
On Wednesday, the tribunal confirmed the electoral triumph of Alli, a former Secretary to the Oyo State Government.
According to a report by INFOGONG , the tribunal has ruled against Tegbe's plea and has instructed him to make a payment of N500,000 to each of the three respondents, namely Alli, APC, and INEC.
The tribunal determined that the signatures of the majority of polling agents affiliated with the PDP, who served as witnesses during the election, were inconsistent with the signatures found on the documents signed in their respective polling units or the ones provided in their sworn statements.
The panel further asserted that the witnesses failed to furnish any form of identification, such as identity cards, that could substantiate their claim of serving as PDP polling agents during the election.
The tribunal observed that the petitioners did not utilize the voter register as a means to substantiate their claim of overvoting.
The panel further asserted that the evidence put forth by the petitioners lacked credibility.
The panel dismissed the challenge, stating that the petitioners did not provide substantial, credible, and persuasive evidence that may alter the poll results as declared by INEC.