EKITI POLL: Tribunal Adjourns For Judgement As Defendants Urge Tribunal To Dismiss Oni’s Petition
The Election Petition Tribunal has adjourned judgment to a date to be communicated to parties on the dispute arising from the governorship election held on June 18, 2022 in Ekiti State which produced Governor Biodun Oyebanji as the winner.
The Chairman of the three-member panel hearing the case, Justice Wilfred Kpochi, reserved judgment for a later date after all parties before the jury adopted their final written addresses on Wednesday in Ado Ekiti, the state capital.
At the adoption of written addresses, Governor Oyebanji, his party, the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) urged the Election Petition Tribunal to dismiss the petition filed by the Social Democratic Party (SDP) governorship candidate, Chief Segun Oni.
Oyebanji maintained that Oni and his party, the SDP, have failed woefully to sufficiently provide proof on them to convince the Tribunal that the election did not comply with the provisions of the Electoral Act and the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 as amended.
Oni and the SDP are the 1st and 2nd Petitioners in case. The Respondents are Oyebanji (1st), the APC (2nd), Yobe State Governor Mai Mala Buni, in his capacity as the Chairman of the APC Caretaker Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee (3rd), INEC (4th) and the Deputy Governor, Mrs. Monisade Afuye (5th).
Oyebanji and Afuye (1st and 5th Respondents) through their counsel, Prof. Kayode Olatoke (SAN), told the Tribunal that their written address was dated 29th October and filed on 30th October and adopted same before the Tribunal as evidence that the election of his clients be affirmed.
