Members of the
Peoples Democratic Party in Osun State are protesting on the premises of the
Osun State High Court following the alleged disbandment of the Governorship
Election Petition Tribunal hearing matters arising from the recently concluded
governorship poll in the state.
Scores of PDP
members while staging a peaceful protest in the court premises carried
placards with the inscriptions such as ‘Why the sudden disbandment of
the panel?’ Constitute a new panel immediately now?’ No more Salamigate in
Osun’ Save our democracy from rogues'”
They said that
the alleged disbandment would have a negative effect on the case of the
petitioner.
A former
Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice in Osun State, Mr Niyi Owolade,
who is one of the counsels for the governorship candidate of the PDP in Osun
State, Senator Ademola Adeleke, said the disbandment of the panel ought to have
been done simultaneously with the constitution of a new one.
Adeleke’s
counsel who raised the alarm while addressing journalists in front of the
courtroom where the panel usually sat said the dissolution of the three-man
panel headed by Justice T. A. Igoche, would adversely affect the prosecution of
the case.
The counsel said
that they were worried because they filed an exparte application for
substituted service on the candidate of the All Progressives Congress, Alhaji
Gboyega Oyetola and the APC who he claimed had been evading service.
He, however,
said that members and chairman of the tribunal were nowhere to be found when
the application was supposed to be heard today.
He said, “We
were told by court officials that the panel has been disbanded. But what is
more surprising is that a new panel has not been put in place. It should be
done simultaneously.
“Our 180 days
have started counting since October 16 and final judgment is expected to be
given in this petition before April 16, 2019.”
Our
correspondent observed that the venue of the tribunal was locked and the court
officials told journalists that there would be no sitting but no reason was
given.
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