The Edo State Local Government Election Appeal Tribunal has struck out the appeals brought before it by candidates of the Labour Party in the 2023 local government election conducted on September 2, 2023 by the Edo State Independent Electoral Commission.
Delivering the judgment, Justice Emmanuel Ahamioje with the other two members of the panel, Justices Mary Asemota and Aifuwa Imoukhuede, dismissed the appeals for lacking in merit and called on the state House of Assembly to review and harmonise certain provisions of the EDSIEC Act to be in tandem with the federal law.
The panel called for applicable sections of the EDSIEC Act in respect of the conduct of local government elections to be streamlined so as not to have varying applicability from two different laws for the same electoral procedure in local polls.
Speaking to journalists on the matter, the Edo State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice and counsel for EDSIEC, Oluwole Osaze-Uzzi, hailed the verdict of the panel.
On the recommendation to review the EDSIEC law, Osaze-Uzzi said it would create a template for future appeal processes to be done properly.
He said, “It is an advisory that the House of Assembly should look into amending the law for the grounds upon which petitions can be presented and be in sync with the Electoral Act of 2022, which is also undergoing a review.
“We can get a good Electoral Act at the federal level and then Edo State can also fashion its law to make us have better elections.”
Twelve appeals were initially filed but that of Ovia North East was withdrawn leaving the appeals tribunal to rule on the remaining 11 all of which were struck out by the panel.
