Osun Tribunal: Heavy security as tribunal defers ruling on Omisore’s petition

The  Election Petitions Tribunal hearing matters arising from the August 9th governorship  election held in Osun State on Thursday deferred ruling on an application by Governor Rauf Aregbesola to challenge the competence of the petition of Senator Iyiola Omisore before the panel.

Omisore

Counsel to the petitioner, Dr. Alex Iziyon SAN, told the tribunal that the application challenging the competence of the petition should be heard alongside with the substantive petition.

Iziyon said hearing the applications and the petition together would ensure speedy dispensation of justice in the case.

He said, ” We have already taken two months out of six months. You can take the applications together. I know justice will be done.

Various applications which bother on the jurisdiction of the tribunal should be taken together with the petition.”

The counsel cited Paragraph 12 of the first schedule of the Electoral Act to back up the appropriateness of his prayer.

But Chief Akinlolu Olujinmi SAN, who appeared for Aregbesola said the tribunal could not go ahead since the application filed before it bothered on the competence of panel to hear the petition.

Olujinmi said that the objection raised by the petitioner was challenging  the competence of the petition and the petition should not be heard based on this.

Counsel to the second respondent ( All Progressives Congress), Mr. Rotimi Akeredolu SAN, aligned himself with the argument of  the first respondent.

He said going ahead to hear  the substantive case while the application challenging the petition’s competence had not been resolved would  be out of order.

He argued that hearing the application on competence and the petition could be likened to hearing a petition filed out of time.

Counsel to the Independent National Electoral Commissioner,  Mr. Ayotunde Ogunleye, also adopted the arguments of the respondents in the matter.

Iziyon in his reply told the panel to discountenance the augment of the respondent describing them as Old Testament.

The chairman of the tribunal, Justice Elizabeth Ikpejime, after listening to the arguments of counsels to the the petitioners and all the respondents  said the panel would deliver its ruling on the application.

Ikpejime and two other justices, Vincent Ofosi and A. I. kutigi who are members of the newly reconstituted panel sat on the case and the tribunal adjourned the ruling to Monday November 3.

There  was tight security  around the Osun State Judiciary complex in Osogbo  the venue of the tribunal.

The Commissioner of Police, Mr. Abubakar Marafa, led other senior police officers to the venue to ensure that there is no breach of security.

Roads leading to the court were condoned off while anti bomb experts and officials of State Security Service  searched vehicles and individuals going inside the court.

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Osun Tribunal: Heavy security as tribunal defers ruling on Omisore’s petition