Afrigather Osun State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal will on October 26 start a full listening to of the petition filed by Governor Adegboyega Oyetola of the All Progressives Congress (APC) towards the declaration of Senator Ademola Adeleke as governor-elect.
Way of life Nigeria experiences that the tribunal made this pronouncement after concluding the pre-hearing session on Thursday.
The tribunal was requested to dismiss the functions of the Peoples Democratic Celebration (PDP) and the Impartial Nationwide Electoral Fee (INEC), in search of the discontinuation of the petition delivered to it by Governor Oyetola.
Counsel for Oyetola and the APC, Lasun Sanusi, SAN, on the sitting of the tribunal argued that Adeleke’s, PDP’s and INEC’s reliance on a Federal Courtroom Excessive judgment was nothing however an abuse of courtroom course of.
Sanusi argued this whereas replying to separate functions of the trio, in search of the dismissal of the petition based mostly on the already appealed Federal Excessive Courtroom judgment disqualifying Oyetola from contesting the election.
Citing Supreme Courtroom selections within the case of Jegede Vs INEC, 2021, 14NWLR, Pt 1797, web page 409, the counsel stated the courtroom had dominated that the signatories to the letter conveying the nomination of a candidate weren’t the nominators; somewhat, the nomination was executed by get together members on the congress, therefore, the judgment couldn’t stand.
In the meantime, the counsel for INEC, Prof. Paul Ananaba, SAN; counsel for Adeleke, Onyechi Ikpeazu, SAN and counsel for the PDP, Dr. Alex Izinyon, SAN, agreed that any resolution the tribunal would tackle the matter must wait till the Enchantment Courtroom and the Supreme Courtroom selected it.
They famous that they simply determined to argue the functions to have it on file, a place which the tribunal agreed with and placed on file.
Additionally, in different functions totalling 9 by the three respondents, they requested the tribunal to strike out some paragraphs of the petition on the grounds that they have been both lumped collectively or not associated to the 2022 election.
In response to every of the functions, Sanusi stated all of the instances cited by the respondents have been misconceived, including that they weren’t relevant within the occasion case.
He cited the case of INEC Vs Otti, 2016, 8NWLR, the place the Supreme Courtroom hinted that INEC was purported to be impartial, arguing that every one the processes filed earlier than the panel haven’t portrayed the fee’s neutrality.
Sanusi additional argued that the functions filed by the respondents have been solely meant to stop the tribunal from specializing in listening to the petition on advantage, asking the panel to dismiss the functions.
Subsequently, counsel for all events within the matter agreed to start the total listening to beginning with the calling of witnesses on October 26.
In his ruling, the tribunal declared the pre-hearing session concluded and introduced that the pre-hearing convention report could be offered on October 17.
