The Osun state Governorship Election Petition Tribunal has delivered
its ruling on an exparte application brought by the opposition Peoples
Democratic Party (PDP) to cross-check all materials used for the
September 22 and 27 governorship polls.
In the ruling, the party was granted the permission to inspect,
examine, scan and photocopy all rejected ballot papers and other
election materials used for the election.
Premium Times reported how the PDP candidate in the election, Ademola
Adeleke, filed a petition last Tuesday at the tribunal sitting in
Osogbo to challenge the victory of the governor-elect, Gboyega Oyetola
of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Adeleke, who claimed he polled the highest number of votes in the
election, asked the tribunal to cancel the victory of Oyetola and
declare him the winner of the election.
On Thursday, members of the PDP stormed the state high court in
Osogbo, the state capital, where the election petition tribunal is
sitting and blocked its entrance. They alleged that the tribunal had
been disbanded by the president of the court of appeal.
Meanwhile, the head of media and publicity of the Court of Appeal,
Sa’adatu Musa, on Thursday stated that the tribunal was “only
reshuffled and not disbanded.”
On Monday, the tribunal said the two applications by the PDP were
aimed at serving the petitions and other processes on the second and
third respondent respectively.
According to a judge, Peter Obiora, who delivered the ruling on behalf
of the chairman of the tribunal, Muhammad Siraju, the essence of
granting the applications was “to bring the proceedings to the
attention of the respondents in the substantial suit”.
He said the parties involved should be assured that the tribunal would
do everything constitutionally possible to ensure that justice
prevails.
While addressing the public, the applicant’s counsel, Nathaniel Oke,
said the applications was to allow them to properly serve the second
respondent (Gboyega Oyetola) and third respondent (APC).
The tribunal, after granting the applications also said the
respondents (Gboyega Oyetola and APC) are to serve as observers during
the inspection of the election materials.
The PDP head of media and public communication, Bamidele Salam,
confirmed the ruling. He noted that all hands should be on deck as
events unfold.
The APC director of publicity, Kunle Oyatomi, in a statement on
Thursday evening charged the PDP to respect the tribunal’s processes.
“Let the justice system plays itself out and our politicians are
obligated to respect the decisions of the court,” Mr. Oyatomi said.
