Drama ensued at the governorship election tribunal holding in Ogun State as the counsels to the state governor, Dapo Abiodun, on Monday forced adjournment in Hon. Ladi Adebutu’s suit challenging the former’s victory.
Hon. Adebutu, the gubernatorial candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, is urging the tribunal to nullify Abiodun’s victory on account of an alleged electoral fraud perpetrated by the second respondent.
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The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), which is the first respondent, had on March 19 declared Abiodun of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as the winner of March 18 governorship election in Ogun State.
During the introductory speech of the petitioner’s counsel, Chief Goddy Uche, SAN, the schedules of documents filed and presented allegedly contained 98 pages with over 6375 documents.
According to reports made available to Freelanews, while INEC’s counsels, Muyiwa Olugola and D.O.Ati John, claimed to have little or no documents to tender, Dapo Abiodun’s lawyers struggled to present a defence after seeing the petitioner’s 6,375 documents and, therefore, bidded for more time to study the documents.
The Abiodun’s defence team led by Kehinde Ogunwunmiju included of Bode Olanipekun, Olayemi Bayewole, Deji Eniiseyin, Opeyemi Adekoya and Sheriff Abiodun Adesanya.
Others were Yomi Adejuyigbe, Adeola Akinyemi, Oluwatola Akinduro and Tunde Ahmed Akinjuwon.
A source, who witnessed the proceedings, regarded the governor’s request as mere gimmick to waste the time of the court.
“They are trying to waste the time of the courts as they claim the numbers of document pages are too enormous for them to be checked page by page.
“As part of their delay tactics, the respondents failed to submit their documents to the court,thereby looking at avenue to waste the petitioner’s 180days.
“The petitioner’ Counsel Chief Goody Uche SAN insisted they should leave their Junior in court today to do the needful while they return to court tomorrow to continue the normal hearing. That there is nothing to scrutinize in the documents by the respondents.”
It was obvious that the counsel to the petitioner, Uche, was not interested in wasting the time of the panel and made known his readiness to bringing witnesses from tomorrow if the documents tendering are to be delayed.
The panel then adjourned till Thursday, giving the concerned parties 48hourrs for harmonization and reconciliation.
@freelanews Goddy Uche, lead counsel for PDP candidate, Ladi Adebutu, speaks to journalists after Abiodun’s lawyer bidded for more time #goviral #trending #foryou #naijapolitics #tiktoknaija #foryourpage ♬ original sound – Freelanews
Ojelabi, the publisher of Freelanews, is an award winning and professionally trained mass communicator and a recipient of the D9112 Superstar Icon Award, who writes ruthlessly about pop culture, religion, politics and entertainment.
