Hearing on Omisore’s petition stalled over Tribunal member’s ill-health

 

The Osun State governorship election tribunal could not sit yesterday as one of the tribunal members fell sick.
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its candidate at the August 9, gubernatorial election, Senator Iyiola Omisore are challenging the re-election of the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Governor Rauf Aregbesola, before Justice Elizabeth Ikpejime-led election tribunal.
The tribunal was to rule on an application of the PDP and Omisore to hear the preliminary objection along with the substantive suit.

The APC and Aregbesola had argued that the objection must be heard at the pre-hearing stage in accordance with the law.
While lawyers to the parties in the matter were waiting for the ruling on the issue, one of the tribunal clerks came to announce that the tribunal would no longer be able to seat because, a member of the panel was sick.
Speaking with newsmen shortly after the announcement, the PDP deputy governorship candidate, Hon. Adejare Bello said his party was determined to take the petition to Supreme Court, adding that it was only the Supreme Court that had the final say on whether or not Aregbesola won the election.
Also reacting, counsel to Governor Rauf Aregbesola Chief Akin Olujinmi (SAN) said he did not see the petition scaling through the pre-hearing stage if the preliminary objections were taken.

He said: “Saying they want to go to Supreme Court shows that they know the weakness of their case, because I expect them to say at the beginning that they are very sure of their case.

“If the objections are taken, I do not see the petition seeing the light of the day and that is why they are afraid of having the objections taken now”.