The Ekiti State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Ado-Ekiti has adjourned further hearing in the petition challenging the outcome of the June 20, 2026 governorship election following a request by the petitioners to move the proceedings out of the state over alleged security concerns.
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The three-member tribunal, chaired by Justice Idris Kutigi, adjourned proceedings until September 23, 2026, to enable the President of the Court of Appeal, Justice Monica Dongban-Mensem, consider the petitioners’ application seeking the transfer of the tribunal to another venue they consider safer.
The request followed an allegation that counsel associated with the Social Democratic Party’s petition, Ebenezer Akinbule, had been assaulted and that some witnesses were being prevented from appearing before the tribunal. The allegation has not been independently established by the tribunal.
Counsel to the All Progressives Congress and Governor Biodun Oyebanji, Adetunji Osho, SAN, told journalists after Wednesday’s proceedings that the respondents were informed of the relocation request after receiving a letter seeking another adjournment.
According to Osho, Akinbule had appeared before the tribunal the previous day and sought an adjournment after saying that an internal crisis had affected his ability to bring witnesses to court.
He said the respondents had seen the lawyer and some witnesses around the tribunal premises on Tuesday and were therefore surprised by the subsequent claim that the lawyer had been assaulted and witnesses prevented from attending proceedings.
The development came a day after the tribunal expressed concern over delays in the SDP’s presentation of witnesses. Justice Kutigi had directed the party to proceed with its case after its counsel explained that 11 proposed witnesses were unavailable because of what he described as an internal party crisis. Reports from the proceedings also said police intervened following tensions among rival SDP members around the tribunal premises.
Osho said the respondents agreed to the latest adjournment because the request for a change of venue was already before the President of the Court of Appeal.
“The tribunal, in its wisdom, adjourned the hearing of the petition till Wednesday, 23rd of September, for the President of the Court of Appeal to take a decision on the petitioner’s application for transfer of the petition,” he said.
The petition is part of the post-election litigation arising from the June 20 governorship election in which the Independent National Electoral Commission declared Oyebanji of the APC winner with 319,224 votes.
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