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.
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.
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.
Credit: Femi Makinde/Punch News
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