EKITI TRIBUNAL: APPEAL COURT DECLINES SDP’S REQUEST FOR VENUE CHANGE
Read Time:2 Minute, 37 Second
By ‘Balogun Ibrahim
The Court of Appeal has declined a request by counsel to the Social Democratic Party (SDP) in Ekiti State, Ebenezer Akinbuli, to move the sitting of the Ekiti State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal to another location over alleged security concerns.
The tribunal had earlier adjourned proceedings from September 16 to September 23 to allow the President of the Court of Appeal, Justice Monica Dongban-Mensem, to consider the petitioners’ request for a change of venue following an alleged assault on SDP counsel.
However, Akinbuli, who was absent from Tuesday’s proceedings, reportedly submitted another letter seeking a further adjournment pending the determination of the application to relocate the tribunal.
During the proceedings, the Chairman of the three-member tribunal, Justice Abubakar Kutigi, disclosed that the President of the Court of Appeal had declined the request to transfer the tribunal’s sitting.
READ MORE…
NIGERIAN TROOPS FOIL KIDNAPPING, RESCUE SIX FUDMA STUDENTS IN KATSINA
Kutigi added that the tribunal remained properly constituted and was therefore competent to continue hearing the petitions.
Counsel to the All Progressives Congress (APC), Kabir Akingbolu, and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Bunmi Ipinlaiye, said they were unaware of the Court of Appeal’s decision, which had been served through the secretary of the tribunal.
To remove any uncertainty, Justice Kutigi adjourned the matter until September 24 for further hearing.
Speaking to journalists after the proceedings, Akingbolu said the petitioners had renewed their request for the tribunal to be moved from Ado-Ekiti to another location. He clarified that the relocation request concerned the SDP petition and not the petition filed by the Action Alliance (AA).
The APC lawyer also alleged that the petitioners were responsible for the latest adjournment, saying letters requesting the postponement had been filed in connection with both election petitions.
Akingbolu described the petition challenging Governor Biodun Oyebanji’s victory as unusual, citing the margin and voting pattern recorded during the election.
According to him, Oyebanji won all 16 local government areas and most of the 177 wards in the state. He questioned the basis of the petition, noting that the petitioners, in his view, secured relatively low vote totals in the election.
The APC counsel further alleged that the petitioners were employing various tactics, including repeated requests for adjournments, to delay the proceedings. He urged them to concentrate on the substantive issues before the tribunal.
Akingbolu said the request to relocate the tribunal was based on allegations of inadequate security and that the SDP had sought the move to Abuja or another venue.
He maintained that the security situation was currently adequate and reiterated that the latest adjournment was sought by the petitioners themselves.
Akingbolu also argued that Oyebanji’s electoral victory was significant, noting that the governor won across the state’s 16 local government areas and almost all 177 wards.
He further questioned the decision of candidates with comparatively low vote totals to challenge the governorship election, describing the petition as unusual.
The APC counsel, however, said the tribunal proceedings should focus on the legal issues raised in the petitions rather than repeated applications for adjournment.
Happy
0 %
Sad
0 %
Excited
0 %
Sleepy
0 %
Angry
0 %
Surprise
0 %
0
0