Tribunal orders service of documents on PDP candidate

The Lagos State House of Assembly Election Petitions Tribunal has ordered service of court papers by substituted means on the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party for Ojo Constituency 1,  Mr. Victor Akande.

Akande, having polled 24,848 votes in the Lagos House of Assembly election which held on April 11, 2015, had been declared winner of Ojo Constituency  1 and issued with the certificate of return by the Independent National Electoral Commission.

However, the candidate of the All Progressives Congress in the constituency, Muhibat Rufai-Adeyemi, who polled 21,160 votes, had approached the tribunal to challenge Akande’s victory.

Rufai-Adeyemi, who alleged that the electoral process leading to Akande’s victory was fraught with malpractices, had through her lawyer, Mr. Dele Adeogun, secured the leave of the court to serve court papers on Akande by substituted means.

The Justice S.C. Oriji-led tribunal had ordered that the originating processes and all other processes filed by Rufai-Adeyemi should “be pasted on a conspicuous part of Akande’s last known place of abode or delivered to any adult found at the office/secretariat of the PDP at Adekunle Fajuyi Way, Ikeja G.R.A.”

According to the panel, the court papers to be served on Akande include the petition by Rufai-Adeyemi, the petitioner’s statement on oath, list of documents the petitioner wishes to rely upon, and the petitioner’s list of witnesses.

Rufai-Adeyemi is seeking a declaration that “Akande was not duly elected by a majority of lawful votes cast in the Lagos State House of Assembly election for Ojo Constituency 1, held on April 11, 2015.”

The petitioner is further seeking “an order of the court restraining Akande from parading himself as the winner of the said election and a further order directing INEC to recognise Rufai-Adeyemi as the winner of the said election.”

Tribunal orders service of documents on PDP candidate