The Edo State Election Petitions Tribunal, yesterday, ruled in favour of the candidate of All Progressives Congress, APC and  member representing Akoko Edo federal constituency in the House of Representatives, Peter Akpatason, on the motion challenging alleged irregular signatures in the petition against him by the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Mr Oladele Bankole-Balogun.

Counsel to Akpatason and APC, Ken Mozia, SAN, had observed that in the joint petition by the PDP and its candidate, Bankole-Balogun, the petitioner signed in his column while somebody else signed on behalf of the PDP without indicating his name.

He argued that the petition fell short of the Electoral Act, which requires that the name of the person who signs on behalf of the PDP must be stated. Therefore, he urged the tribunal to strike out the petition based on improper signing of the petition by the PDP and urged the tribunal to hear his motion.

But counsel to Bankole-Balogun and the PDP, A. Thomas, argued that based on section 25 of the schedule to the Electoral Act, by virtue of that section all motions should be taken along, during the hearing of the substantive suit and not through a motion as he urged the tribunal not to hear the motion.

Click here to read from source.