Hon Adejare Bello

An Election Petition Retrial Tribunal sitting in Osogbo on Saturday nullified the election of the Speaker, Osun State House of Assembly, Chief Adejare Bello.

Delivering its judgment, the retrial tribunal, led by Justice Patrick Elechi, held that election into the Ede-North state constituency, in which the Speaker represented in the House, was marred with rigging.

The tribunal also held that the April 14, 2007 election was fraught with violence and multiple voting.

Ordering that a fresh election be conducted within 30 days, the tribunal upheld the petition of Action Congress of Nigeria candidate, Ahaji Kamorudeen Akanbi, which challenged the declaration of Bello as the winner of the poll by the Independent National Electoral Commission.

Bello, a former Minority Leader of the House between 1999 and 2003, emerged the Speaker of the House in 2003.

The petitioner had faulted the Justice Thomas Naron tribunal sitting in Osogbo, which initially upheld the victory of Bello.

Dissatisfied with the declaration of Bello as the winner of the controversial election, Akanbi had gone to the Appeal Court in Ibadan, where a retrial of the petition was ordered.

The appellant court set aside the judgment of the Justice Thomas Naron-led tribunal, describing it as a travesty of justice.

Justice Elechi said the petitioner had proved the allegations of irregularities beyond reasonable doubt and so nullified the election.

Reacting, Bello said he accepted the verdict in good faith, adding, however, that he would file an appeal against the decision.

Bello’s Press Secretary, Mr. Olumide Ajayi, in a telephone interview with our correspondent, on Saturday, said the Speaker would continue to represent the people of Ede-North state constituency in the House until the determination of his appeal.

-Punch