The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Oyo Tribunal

  • Aggrieved candidates file 17 cases before Oyo election petition tribunal

    Arising from the just concluded elections, no fewer than 17 petitions have been confirmed to be before the Oyo State Election Petition Tribunal

    The petitions include four senatorial and 13 house of assembly cases

    The revelation was made on Wednesday by the Oyo State Resident Electoral Commissioner of Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Mr. Mutiu Agboke at the presentation of certificates of return to the governor-elect, deputy governor-elect and house of Assembly members-elect.

    Read Also: Oyo calls on boundary commission to mediate in dispute with Osun

    The event presently ongoing at the Banquet Hall, Premier Hotel, Ibadan is been attended by many party stalwarts, religious leaders, security chief, amidst heavy security presence.

    Details shortly…..

  • Oyo tribunal: Lawyers submit final addresses

    The lawyers in the case between Chief Oyebisi Ilaka, the Accord senatorial candidate in Oyo Central and Senator Monsurat Sunmonu, the All Progressives Congress (APC) standard-bearer, holding at the National Assembly Election Petition Tribunal in Ibadan, have submitted their final addresses to the judges.

    Following submission of the addresses, the tribunal Chairman, Justice J.G. Abundaga, adjourned the  judgment to a date that would be communicated to the lawyers.

    The petitioner’s counsel, Olawale Omoloye, delivering his addresses and adopting them before the tribunal, said the two written addresses were the final argument on the part of his client and pleaded with the tribunal to grant the relief and prayer being sought.

    The first respondent, Senator Sunmonu, was represented by Tola Oshobi, the second respondent, the APC, was represented by O. Olowofela and the third respondent, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), was represented by Adisa Oluwatosin. They addressed the tribunal and adopted the final written addresses.

    Oshobi prayed the tribunal to dismiss the petition and award substantial cost against the petitioner for bringing an incompetent case.

  • Oyo tribunal concludes hearing

    Oyo tribunal concludes hearing

    The Oyo State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal has concluded hearing, after the counsel to the third and fourth respondents, Yusuff Ali (SAN), closed his case yesterday without calling any witness.

    The Accord candidate in the governorship election, Senator Rashidi Ladoja, challenged the declaration of Governor Abiola Ajimobi of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as the winner of the poll before a three-man panel.

    The petitioner joined the APC, Dr. Rufus Akeju, the Resident Electoral Commissioner and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as respondents.

    Chief Richard Ogunwole (SAN) represented the first and second petitioners. Olumuyiwa Aduroja (SAN) and Oluwarotimi Akeredolu (SAN) were counsel to the first and second respondents and Yusuf Ali (SAN), led a team of lawyers for the third and fourth respondents.

    Ali said the original INEC documents before the tribunal were evidence that election was held, contrary to the petition by Senator Ladoja and his party.

    He added that the original documents admitted as exhibits were testimonies that the results garnered by parties and their governorship candidates were recorded accurately and not falsified as alleged by the petitioners.

    Ali said: “Since nobody has tendered any result besides the one announced by INEC, it shows there was no falsification of the results as included in the petition of Senator Ladoja.”

    Following the closing of defence by the third and fourth respondents, the three-man tribunal, comprising Justices Muhammad Aliu Maiyaki, Muhammad Karaye and J.E. Ikede fixed September 30 for the adoption of final addresses of the lawyers.

    Justice Mayaki said: “Time is available for the tribunal to give maximum to the parties involved. “Respondents now have 10 days to write and file their final written addresses, while the petitioners have seven days.”

    He said the parties had five days to reply on points of law.

    “The parties also have additional 10 pages besides the 40 pages meant for the final addresses of their objections to the admissible of documents tendered during the hearing session,” Justice Mayaki said.

  • Oyo tribunal: INEC to present 160 witnesses

    Oyo tribunal: INEC to present 160 witnesses

       One hundred and sixty witnesses are to testify at the Oyo State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal in Ibadan, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) lead counsel, Yusuf Ali (SAN), said yesterday.

    Sikiru Sanni, who held the fort for Ali, said the witnesses would be selected from the 33 local governments to prove to the tribunal that INEC conducted free, fair and credible election.

    The Accord candidate in the April 11 governorship poll, Senator Rashidi Ladoja, challenged the declaration of Governor Abiola Ajimobi of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as the winner.

    He joined the APC, Dr. Rufus Akeju, the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) and the commission as co-respondents.

    Chief Richard Ogunwole (SAN) represented the first and second petitioners. Olumuyiwa Aduroja (SAN) and Oluwarotimi Akeredolu (SAN) were counsel to the first and second respondents, while Ali led a team of lawyers for the third and fourth respondents.

    He prayed the court to adjourn the case till tomorrow to enable him gather his witnesses.

    The lawyer said: “We have substantial witnesses to present to this tribunal within the five days allotted to us. We promise to utilise the time allotted to us judiciously.”

    The lead counsel to the second respondent, Chief Akeredolu, who ought to present his witnesses yesterday, closed his case without presenting any witness.

    He said: “We are not presenting any witness because we have light evidence presented by the petitioner’s counsel. We will not want to waste the time of this panel by presenting any witness.”

     

     

  • Oyo tribunal to hear 36 petitions

    Oyo tribunal to hear 36 petitions

    The Election Petitions Tribunal in Oyo State held its maiden sitting yesterday.

    The Chairman, Justice J.G Abunsaga, said the tribunal received 36 petitions on the National and House of Assembly elections.

    At its sitting in Ibadan, the state capital yesterday, Justice Abunsaga said the tribunal will conclude hearing of the petitions within 180 days as stipulated in the constitution.

    Other members of the tribunal are Justices G.C Nnamani and A.N Suleiman.

    The breakdown of the petitions showed that two are on senatorial elections; 10 on the House of Representatives.

    The remaining 24 are for the House of Assembly election.

    The tribunal handling petitions on the governorship election is yet to start sitting.

    Justice Abundaga sought the support of counsel handling briefs for petitioners.

    He said their cooperation would determine the success of the tribunal.

    The chairman also emphasised that the tribunal would not tolerate any extra adjournment.

    His said: “We shall be firm on all issues. Election petition tribunal is time-bound.

    “Every petition filed must be heard and dispensed within the 180 days stipulated by the constitution.”

    Richard Ogunwole, who spoke on behalf of other counsel, assured of their cooperation, declaring that the counsel equally attach importance to the need to work within stipulated period.

    The senior lawyer, in return, sought the assistance of the tribunal to impress it on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) on the need for the release of  documents required by counsel.

     

  • Oyo Tribunal gets 12 petitions

    Oyo Tribunal gets 12 petitions

    The Oyo State Election Petitions Tribunal yesterday said it has received 12 petitions – 10 House of Representatives and two senatorial.

    At the State High Court, Iyaganku, Ibadan, where Courts 15 and 21 have been assigned to hear the petitions, a tribunal official, who pleaded for anonymity, said it was too early to give  details.

    He said the two senatorial petitions received were in respect of Oyo Central and Oyo South districts.

    The tribunal official said the 21-day period allowed for filing of petitions had lapsed in respect of the presidential/National Assembly elections.

    The court official said hearing might not begin until next week when, according to him, “it is expected that all the necessary filings would have been completed and those expected to be served would have received the papers”.

    It was gathered that petitions in respect of both the governorship and State House of Assembly elections held on April 11 could still be entertained.

    The All Progressives Congress (APC) made a clean sweep of the National Assembly election, winning 12 of the 14 House of Representatives seats and all the three senatorial seats.

    The party, aside winning the governorship election, which produced Abiola Ajimobi as the first governor to win a second term, also won 18 seats in the House of Assembly as against the eight won by Accord and six won by Labour Party (LP).

    Former Governor Rashidi Ladoja, who contested for governorship on the platform of Accord, had vowed to challenge Ajimobi’s victory, alleging that his mandate was stolen.