The Osun 2022 Governorship Election Tribunal, hearing the petition of Governor Adegboyega Oyetola and governor-elect Senator Ademola Adeleke, yesterday adjourned sitting till October 4 for the three defendants to file response to a pre-trial form.
At the sitting yesterday, Prof. Kayode Olatoke, SAN, led other 49 lawyers to represent Governor Oyetola and the All Progressives Congress (APC), while Prof. Paul Ananaba, SAN, represented the first respondent, Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). Bamidele Abolarin represented Senator Adeleke, while Nathaniel Oke appeared for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
The tribunal was chaired by Tertsea Aorga Kume. Benedict Amaugbe and Bashiru Rabi were members.
Olatoke said they had filed response to a pre-trial form issued by the tribunal last Friday.
He said: “We were served the form last Friday and we filed the response and serve the respondents on Monday. We can go ahead with the hearing.”
Ananaba objected to the petitioner’s stand on pre-trail form, saying: “We were just served the pre-trail form this morning; we need more time so that we can file our response.”
Olatoke advised the court to stand down the matter so that the respondents could file and serve the tribunal panel and petitioners, so that pre-trail could begin immediately.
Ananaba opposed the advice of the petitioner’s counsel, saying: “The second schedule of Electoral Law permits us to reply within seven days. They just serve us the pre-trail form this morning, so we have the privilege of seven days to reply.”
Adeleke and PDP’s counsel agreed to the argument of INEC’s counsel.
The Chairman of the panel, Justice Kume, adjourned the matter till October 4 for hearing.
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