OSUN ELECTION PETITION TRIBUNAL UPDATE: Parties Close Cases, As Tribunal Adjourn for Final Addresses… ‘There Is Nothing in Omisore’s Case’ Osun State Election Petition Tribunal has adjourned till January 28 for the adoption of final addresses, as the All Progressive Congress (APC) and Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) closed their defences on Monday. The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its candidate in the August 9, 2014 governorship election, Iyiola Omisore are challenging the re-election of Governor Rauf Aregbesola before the Justice Elizabethe Ikpejime-led tribunal. The APC counsel, Ajibola Basiru at the resumed hearing of the petition told the three-man panel of the decision of his client to close the case, having reviewed the evidences and found out that no case has been made by the petitioners. Subsequently, the INEC Counsel, Ayotunde Ogunleye opened his defence and tendered the Certified True Copies (CTC) of Form EC8E (overal result declaration form), summary of the Permanent Voters Cards Distribution list and the certificate of the list While counsel to other respondents raised no objection to the admissibility of the documents, the petitioner counsel, Nathaniel Oke (SAN) raised objection to only the Certificate of the PVCs Distribution List on the ground that it was not frontloaded. Replying, the INEC counsel said the PVCs Distribution List was frontloaded, but because it was printed from computer, its certificate was produced as provided by law, arguing that the objection could not be sustainable. Subsequently, the tribunal admitted the document as exhibits 395, 396 and 397 respectively. After the document had been admitted, the INEC counsel applied to close the case of the commission without calling any witness, saying, “we apply to close our case upon the evaluation of the case made out by the petitioner, coupled with evidence we have extracted from the witnesses called so far by other respondents and the petitioner”. “Also, the documents tendered so far are the documents coming from us and as such, we will need no further oral evidence”, he said. Each of the respondents are to file their written addresses within 10 days, while the petitioners have seven days to file their addresses, just as respondents have another five days to reply on point of law. Addressing journalists after the court sitting, Ajibola and Aregbesola counsel, Wale Afolabi said it is not necessary for the respondents to go further to call any other witness, saying the evidence on ground is enough to have the petition thrown away. Afolabi said, “There is nothing in the petition at all, because if you look at the quality of the witnesses they call and our cross-examination which are all in evidence, you will know that we have no reason to fair at all. “As I speak to you now, I can tell you that our written addresses are even ready, because we prepare it on daily basis and we review it from time to time. Infact, we will file before the due date”, he said. Ajibola also said the witnesses called by the petitioners did not even state the case they brought to court. “The expert that they brought even admitted that false entries were there in his report and the testimonies he has given. That is to tell you that they have not made any case”, he noted. Also, the petitioners’ counsel, Oke said it is for the tribunal to evaluate the evidence before it and determine which of the parties was right. Earlier, members of the Judicial Staff Union (JUSUN) had put the entrance gate of the High Court, the venue of the tribunal under lock and key in compliance with their headquarters directive for a strike action over some of their demands from the government.
Posted on: Mon, 05 Jan 2015 21:08:45 +0000
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