Tribunal to Deliver Ruling on Ogun Governorship Poll Petitions on Saturday
Ogun State Governorship Tribunal is scheduled to deliver on Saturday, its judgement on the petitions filed by the PDP, to challenge the outcome of the last March 18TH Governorship Poll.
The judgement date had been communicated to the legal team of the PDP and that of the APC.
The date was confirmed by the tribunal secretary, Obioma Ezenta, as well as the PDP and APC leaders, on Thursday.
The Tribunal Chairman, Justice Hamidu Kunuza, reserved the ruling on the petitions, after the legal teams of the PDP candidate, Ladi Adebutu, and his APC counterpart, Governor Dapo Abiodun, adopted their final written address, last September 4TH.
Adebutu had filed a petition before the tribunal, challenging the election of Abiodun in the Governorship Poll.
The head of his legal team, Chief Chris Uche, in his written address, asked the tribunal to deduct 40,871 votes from the votes credited to Governor Abiodun in the poll.
Also, Chief Uche wants the tribunal to order a re-run of the poll in 99 polling units, in which hoodlums disrupted voting.
But Governor Abiodun’s lead counsel, Chief Wole Olanipekun in its written address, told the tribunal to strike out Adebutu’s petitions for lacking in substance.
According to Olanipekun, Adebutu’s petition amounted to an academic exercise.
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He argued that the soul of Adebutu’s petition was not duly signed, nor dated, no identity, no signature and was not signed.
In his counter-argument, Counsel to Adebutu, Chris Uche (SAN) argued that all documents presented by the petitioners were obtained from INEC.
Adopting his final written address, Uche urged the tribunal to declare the petitioner winner of the governorship election.
Uche equally urged the tribunal to remove a total number of 40, 871 votes from Abiodun’s polled votes and order a rerun in the 99 polling units where elections were allegedly disrupted.
“We are very happy that today we have adopted our final written addresses in support of our petition.
Also, we have asked the court based on the overwhelming evidence which we have advised both orally and documentary.
“Also, we are asking the court to give judgement to the petitioners, Ladi Adebutu and PDP because we have overwhelmingly proven our case. And this case we have brought all the documents certified by INEC and even witnesses called by INEC. So we have done our bit and the matter has been adjourned for judgement at a later date.”
