Tribunal Dismisses Reyenieju's Petition. Upholds Ereyitomi Victory

The Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Asaba, the Delta State capital, on Friday September 6, 2019 upheld the electoral victory of Chief Thomas Ereyitomi JP, as the duly elected winner of the Warri Federal Constituency seat.



The Tribunal has therefore, dismissed the petition filled by the former member of the Lower Chambers, Hon. Daniel Reyenieju.

While upholding the election of Ereyitomi, the Tribunal agreed with the objections filed by the Counsel to PDP and Chief Thomas Ereyitomi respectively, on the incompetence of the petition.

The PDP had argued that since SDP the petitioner's party had opted out from the start, the petitioner's petition could no longer be sustained in view of the fact that, it was commenced on oath as a joint petition.

The other option for the petitioners would have been to amend but the time within which to do so, had elapsed and no extension of time is permitted by the sui generis nature of election petitions.

Though, apart from the  technical defect of the petition, the Tribunal proceeded to examine the matter on the merit of it, and pronounced judgment on merit and found out  that the evidence of the respondents  preponderated over that of the petitioner.

Therefore, the Petition was dismissed accordingly.