..PDP to close case on March 18
The Governorship Election Petition Tribunal in Ondo State has upheld the petition filled by the Social Democratic Party SDP through its lead counsel, Adewole Adebayo Esq over what he termed as malpractices before, during and after the election, which he called on the court to nullify the election, but the Chairman of the Tribunal, Justice Benson Ogbu fixed March 18th, 2025, as a date for final addresses and adoption in agreement with other defendants.
The AA along with the Social Democratic Party, SDP and the People Democratic Party, PDP and their governorship candidates , Festus Akingboye and Agboola Ajayi respectively , approached the tribunal,challenging the election result in which the Independent National Electoral Commission ( INEC) had declared the APC’s candidate, Mr Lucky Aiyedatiwa, as winner.
The Justice Ogbu-led three-member tribunal reserved the judgment on Wednesday after the petitioners and respondents counsels in the matter adopted their final written addresses.
According to Justice Ogubu, a date for judgment will be communicated to the parties by the secretary of the tribunal after March 18, when the date will be announced
At the resumed hearing of the matter, the counsel to the 1st petitioners (AA), Adewole Adebayo, told the tribunal that the business of the day was for adoption of final written addresses.
ln his address, Adebayo emphasised on the corrupt practises of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and its non-compliance with the 1999 Constitution of the Nigeria.
Adebayo said the complaint of the petitioner is that INEC remove thier candidate and put the wrong one which affected the party during the November 16, 2024 election.
He urged the court to uphold the petition and uphold the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
The counsel to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Charles Edosan, proceeded to adopt the final address of his client
He therefore prayed the tribunal to dismiss the petition in its entirety as it had no merit.
Speaking on behalf of other respondents counsel, Tayo Oyetibo (SAN) argued that it was clear that the case of the petitioners was based on two grounds of corruption and noncompliance and incompetence before the law and both grounds of corruption and non-compliance.
For his part, the counsel to APC, Led by (APC), Bode Olanipekun(SAN), told the tribunal to dismiss the petition on the grounds that…
Meanwhile, the People Demorcratic Party, PDP in his petition has presented a total of 20 witnesses out of 43 expected witnesses.
Counsel to the PDP, Mr Ishaka Dikko, SAN, presented the witnesses’ statements on oath, claiming that there was over voting across the state during the election
Dikko told the court that others witnesss could not make it to court and however prayed for an adjourment to change his to the last remaining 22 witnesses to the last four witnesses, which include the supreme witness from West Africain Examination Council WAEC and the petitioner himself.
Unbehalf of the respondent’s counsels, Bode Olanipekun SAN urged the court to refuse the adjournment sought.
He argued that the adjournment is not equitable and is a means to waste the time of the tribunal, saying the election tribunal is serious business.
The PDP counsel however pleaded with the responded counsel to adjourn till March 18 to close his case.
Justice Ogubu, however, adjourned till March 18, for the PDP to call all his remaining witnesses and close his case.
