An Election Petition Tribunal in Lagos on Wednesday struck out a petition challenging the victory of the Lagos State Governor, Mr Akinwunmi Ambode in the governorship election of April 11.

The chairman of the three-man Petition Tribunal, Justice Muhhamed Sirajo, ruled on the case after Mr Ambode’s lawyer Mr Wole Olanipekun, requested that the tribunal should strike out the petition for being incompetent.

However, Mr Agbaje’s lawyer, Clement Onwuenwunor, had argued otherwise but his argument did not stand, as the Tribunal upheld the victory of Mr Ambode, bringing an end to the Tribunal sitting that had started in May.

Mr Agbaje had alleged irregularities during the election which, according to his petition, breached the provisions of the Independent National Electoral Commission’s approved guidelines for the polls.

In the petition, the party and its candidate had requested that the petitioner should compel the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to make available all materials used for the election, but the tribunal refused to grant their request.

It, however, granted a request to allow the petitioner inspect the materials used specifically for the governorship elections in Lagos State.

The Independent National Electoral Commission declared Ambode, a candidate of the All Progressives Congress, the winner of the election on April 12, announcing that he polled 811,994 votes, with the runner-up and the candidate of the PDP, Mr Agbaje, polling 659,788 votes.

“We Ran A Race”

After the election results were announced, Mr Jimi Agbaje had accepted Mr Ambode’s victory, congratulating him and wishing him well.

Mr Agbaje said: “I wish him well and pray he will be successful in guiding this state”.

In an interview with Channels Television, the candidate of the PDP said he was happy with the outcome of the election, but stressed that if there were issues with the process, his party would address them through the right channel.

“We ran a race. There will be winners and there will be losers. As good sportsman, we accept it as true leaders. That is the only way to go.

“Having accepted it, if we do feel cheated and that there are substantial issues to be raise, then we will follow due process. That is how it should be. But definitely, violence, abuse and all will not be an issue,” Mr Agbaje said.

But the PDP, which felt cheated in the election, said it would contest the result, citing cases of election malpractices. It filed its petition with the Tribunal in May.