Date Published: 10/29/09

Appeal Court sacks Omisore from Senate

The Appeal Court  sitting in Ibadan this morning annulled the election of Iyiola Omisore. The verdict immediately made Omisore’s membership of the senate a nullity.

The senator representing Osun East Senatorial district was asked to vacate his seat in the Senate as he did not validly win the 2007 senatorial election in Osun State.  The judges of the court agreed with appellant, Babajide Omoworare of the Action Congress, that there was widespread electoral malpractices and violence during the election held in April 2007. The electoral tribunal in Osun State had earlier upheld the former senator’s election.

Justice C.B. Ogunbiyi reading the judgement today held that the former senator should vacate his seat and that another election should be held within 60 days. The court however did not grant the prayers of the petitioner that Omisore was incompetent to run on account of his impeachment as deputy governor to Chief Bisi Akande in Osun State, saying that only a regular court can indict or disqualify a candidate standing for an election.

P.M.NEWS learnt that the sacked senator was not in Nigeria at the time of the judgement.

Omisore had won the senatorial election for his first term in 2003 while he was detained in Agodi Prison, Ibadan, in connection with the murder of the attorney general of the federation and justice minister, Chief Bola Ige. Ige was killed in December 2002. Omisore’s election at that time created some controversy as he was said to have even won resoundingly in Chief Bola Ige’s constituency of Esa Oke and Ilesa.

Omisore’s  trial at Ibadan was equally controversial as the case was handled by no fewer than three judges, before he was discharged.

PM News