After a judgement which lasted for almost twelve hours, the Governorship Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital has upheld election of Governor Dapo Abiodun of the All Progressives Congress, APC, as the winner of March 18 election.

Justice Hamidu Kunaza-led three man panel, in a unanimous decision held that the petition was incompetent, defective and lacks merit.

The petition filed by the candidate of the Democratic Party, PDP, Ladi Adebutu, was however dismissed.

The panel held that the petitioners failed to prove allegations of non-compliance, overvoting, disenfranchment of voters, non-qualification of second respondent (Abiodun) and corrupt practices during the polls, beyond reasonable doubt.

Justice Kunaza while reading the judgement held that the forensic experts brought by Adebutu have nothing to prove that they are qualified experts, adding that their reports cannot be relied on.

The panel also held that the there was no direct evidence that voters were disenfranchised during the election.

The tribunal maintained that the disenfranchised voters must testify that they were ready to vote and if they were allowed to vote, their candidate would have won; and that they had their voters’ cards and were registered voters.

On the alleged non qualification of Abiodun due to alleged criminal records, Kunaza 

declared that the petitioners have failed to show that the second respondent (Abiodun) had been tried, arraigned and convicted in the US.

"On the whole, the petitioners have not successfully proven the allegation of non compliance with the electoral act and have not discharged the burden of prove," he said.

In dismissing the petition, Kunaza "I uphold the election of Dapo Abiodun as the dully elected governor of Ogun State in the March 18 election."