AD Loses Appeal

P.M. News (Lagos)

May 7, 2004
Posted to the web May 7, 2004

Adewale Busari/Ilorin
Ilorin

The Alliance for Democracy (AD) this morning in Ilorin, the Kwara State Capital, lost its appeal to invalidate the election of Ekiti State Governor, Mr. Ayodele Fayose.

The Appeal Court presided over by Justice Sylvester Nsosor, dismissed the application brought before it by the AD on the ground that it lacked merit and that the allegations of electoral malpractice and falsification of results by the governor were not proved beyond reasonable doubt.

According to Justice Nsosor, the allegations against Governor Fayose are grievous and criminal in nature and that the onus is on the AD to prove that documents provided by the governor were fake, but they (AD) did not prove that.

He added that the AD did not bring any witness to court to claim ownership of the documents provided by Governor Fayose.

The Appeal Court, according to Justice Nsosor, agreed with the judgement of the Election Petition Tribunal that earlier handled the case which refused to annul the election of Mr. Fayose. A cost of N10,000 was, however, awarded in favour of the governor.

The premises of the Appeal Court in Illorin was this morning filled to capacity with a large number of Ekiti State public officials, who accompanied the governor to the court.

At the court were all the local government chairmen in Ekiti State and prominent traditional rulers in the state including Elekole of Ikole- Ekiti, Olomuo of Omuo and Ogogo of Ikere-Ekiti.