Osun tribunal begins hearing October 26

The Osun State Governorship Election Petitions Tribunal has fixed October 26 for hearing of the petition filed by Governor Gboyega Oyetola of the All Progressives Congress (APC) against the declaration of Sen. Ademola Adeleke of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as the governor-elect of the state.

The chairman of the tribunal, Justice Tertsea Kume, fixed the date after the conclusion of the pre-hearing session in Osogbo, the Osun State capital on Thursday.

Kume also announced that the pre-hearing conference reports would be presented on October 17, while proper hearing would begin on October 26.

He added that 10 different motions were filed with responses and heard together by both the petitioners and respondents.

Earlier, the counsel to Oyetola and APC, Prof. Lasun Sanusi, SAN, told the tribunal that he had responded to all the motions filed and also adopted same on issues formulated.

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Sanusi was replying to separate applications by the respondents, seeking the dismissal of the petition based on the Federal High Court judgement in Abuja disqualifying Oyetola from contesting the election.

He said the judgement had been appealed, urging the court to dismiss the motion brought by the respondents pending the determination by the appellate court.

Counsel to the PDP, Alex Izion, SAN, urged the tribunal not to entertain the applications filed by the petitioners on the point of the law.

Izion said since APC did not argue against the responses to the application filed, it should be dismissed based on wants of jurisdiction.

Counsel to INEC, Paul Ananaba, told the tribunal that the judgement by the Federal High Court, which nullified Oyetola’s candidacy has no stay of execution, saying the tribunal should abide by it.

However, counsel to all the parties in the matter agreed to begin the full hearing, with the calling of witnesses, on October 26.

The Star