Osun Election Tribunal reserves judgement on Adeleke's petition

The Osun State Election Petition Tribunal has reserved judgment in the petition filed by Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, Ademola Adeleke who contested the September 2018 gubernatorial election in the state.

The court said it would announce the date of its judgment in the next 48 hours.

A three-member panel of the tribunal presided over by Ibrahim Sirajo adjourned the matter after taking final addresses from parties on Thursday.

Mr Adeleke is challenging the declaration of the candidate for the All Progressives Congress (APC), Gboyega Oyetola, as the winner of the governorship election.

Mr Adeleke’s lawyer, Onyeachi Ikpeazu, had accused the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the APC of colluding to rig the election in favour of Mr Oyetola

Before the date was given, the various lawyers adopted their addresses where they advanced arguments in favour of their various positions, before the tribunal.

In his argument, counsel to the INEC, Lasco Miwa, said the petitioner woefully failed to establish the issues contained in the petition. Mr Miwa asked the tribunal to dismiss the petition and award cost to Mr Adeleke and his party.

Counsel to the elected governor, Wole Olanikpekun also demanded a nullification of the petition.

According to Mr Olanikpekun, “the petition is futile and ‘confusive’.” Mr Olanikpekun submitted that applicants had admitted going against the election laws and should therefore not be requesting to be declared the winner of the same election.

He further argued that the petitioners, in their final written addresses, presented a different case from that mentioned in their pleadings earlier in court.

He said the petitioners did not provide anything which should be used to proceed with their case.

Citing the appeal court ruling on Wednesday, in the ex-parte motion filed by the Presidential candidate of the PDP, Atuki Abubakar, Mr Olanikpekun said the court granted all but one of the requests made by the applicant to the appellate court.

Mr Olanikpekun said the Court of Appeal in the very recent ruling noted that section 151 of the electoral act does not allow it to set aside INEC’s guidelines. He, therefore, argued that the request made by the petitioners were not worthy of approval by the tribunal.

Premium Times