The Ekiti State governorship election petition tribunal sitting in Abuja on Fridaydismissed the petition brought the All Progressives Congress challenging the victory of Governor Ayodele Fayose in the last gubernatorial election.
The tribunal, in the judgement that lasted for about four hours, dismissed the petition in its entirety.
It said the petitioner failed to prove its case beyond reasonable doubt.
The APC had approached the tribunal asking it to nullify the governorship election on ground that the election was marred with irregularities.
Joined as respondents are the Peoples Democratic Party, Fayose, the Independent National Electoral Commission, the Chief of Army Staff and the Inspector General of Police.
The petitioner had asked the tribunal to withdraw the certificate of return given to Fayose and hand it over to former Governor Kayode Fayemi.
The petitioner had hinged its petition on the ground that Fayose was earlier impeached by the Ekiti State House of Assembly based on breach of code of conduct and hence not qualified to contest.
The petitioner also alleged that Fayose forged a Higher National Diploma certificate from The Polytechnic, Ibadan, Oyo State.
Delivering judgement, the three man panel, led by Justice Suraj Mohammed, held that the petitioner failed to prove that the election was marred with irregularities.
It noted that the petitioner contradicted itself when it said that the election should be nullified and in another breadth said the certificate of return should be given to its candidate (Fayemi).
The tribunal further held that the issue of impeachment is a pre-election and election matter but however noted that petitioner should have raised such issue before the election.
On that ground, the tribunal dismissed the relief.
On the allegations of malpractices, the tribunal held that the petitioner did not show in specific terms how and where such malpractices were carried out.
Furthermore, the tribunal struck out the names of the Nigerian Police and Army from the respondents list and at the same struck out all the paragraphs of the affidavits which accused them of any wrongdoing.
On the allegation of forgery, the tribunal also held that petitioner did not present enough concrete evidence.