The Election Petitions Tribunal sitting in Lokoja, Kogi State yesterday struck out the petition filed by Hon. Dino Melaye, challenging the election of Hon. Tajudeen Ayo Yusuf as member of the House of Representatives.
In its ruling in a preliminary objection filed by the lawyer to the respondent, Kolawole Oloworoke, the tribunal chairman, Justice Celine Nweke threw out the petition for lack of merit.
She held that the petition was incompetent saying that it did not comply with the provision of the electoral act as amended.
According to her, the petition violates the Electoral Act 2010 as amended, on the grounds that the document was not signed by the necessary solicitors as required by law.
Justice Nweke consequently, struck out the petition saying that, “you cannot build something out of nothing.”
Oloworoke had filed objection against Melaye, the candidate of the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) for Kabba/Bunu/Ijumu constituency, for the April National Assembly poll, on the grounds that it was invalid and defective, having offended the mandatory provision of the electoral act as amended.