The Osun Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Osogbo on Monday adjourned until October 4 the pre-hearing of a petition filed by Governor Gboyega Oyetola against the declaration of Ademola Adeleke as state’s governor-elect.

The tribunal’s chairman, Justice Tertsea Kume, fixed the date and granted INEC, PDP and Mr Adeleke seven days to respond to the tribunal’s pre-hearing form.

Earlier, counsel to the All Progress Congress (APC), Kayode Olatoke, informed the court of his readiness to continue with the pre-hearing session, having filed his form TF008, where issues for determination were raised.

On the tribunal’s request for advice, Mr Olatoke suggested that the matter should be held down for a few hours for the respondents to respond to the tribunal pre-hearing form.

Counsel to the INEC, Ben Ananaba, said the pre-hearing could not go on because he was just served with the pre-hearing form this morning, saying statutorily, they have seven days to respond.

Counsel to Mr Adeleke, Bamidele Abolarin and counsel representing PDP, Nathaniel Oke, SAN, also requested the tribunal to give them the required seven days to respond.

Addressing journalists after the sitting, Mr Olagoke said the adjournment was not out of place, but the tribunal can abridge the days required for any parties to respond.

He said PDP was ready to defend its victory in the last governorship election in the state, despite the ugly incident in 2018.

Following the July 16 governorship election in Osun, Mr Oyetola and the APC filed a petition before the Election Petition Tribunal sitting at the State High Court, Osogbo.

The petitioners seeking justice challenged the election results in some of the local government areas and prayed the tribunal to return their mandate to them.

INEC had declared Mr Adeleke winner of the election, having polled 403,271 against 375,027 polled by Mr Oyetola. 

(NAN)