Oyetola Closes Case As Tribunal Admits Adeleke’s Results

THE Osun Election Petitions Tribunal, sitting in Osogbo, has admitted original copies of Form CF001 and all its attachments used by Osun State governor, Ademola Adeleke, to contest the 2018 governorship elections.

This is as the former Osun State Governor, Adegboyega Oyetola, and his party, All Progressives Congress (APC), who are challenging the governor’s election at the tribunal, closed their case.

According to a report by The Punch, the documents which were presented to the panel by the Independent National Electora Commission (INEC), through a Deputy Director, Joan Arabs, were admitted as exhibits.

The tribunal had ordered INEC to produce the nomination form and copies of the academic certificates used by Adeleke to contest the 2018 governorship election.

At last Thursday’s sitting, INEC presented GCE results and testimonial obtained from Ede Muslim Grammar School, Ede, however there were allegations that the results are blurry and the Commission was ordered to bring a clearer copy at the next sitting.

Counsel to Adeleke, the second respondent in the matter, Niyi Owolade, and that of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), the 3rd respondent, Alex Izinyon, SAN, said they had gone through original copies brought by the 1st respondent, noting that the documents were more legitimate than the previous ones presented.

After going through the documents, Lateef Fagbemi, who represented the petitioners, said they were legible enough and applied to tender them before the panel.

But counsel to the respondents opposed tendering of the documents but they reserved their argument till the final written address stage.

Izinyon also said the entire documents and its attachment could not be admitted, since only two pages were said to be blurry, out of the ones previously brought by INEC.

But Fagbemi insisted that the entire documents should be admitted since the copies earlier brought by INEC had not been admitted by the panel.

The panel admitted all the original documents brought by INEC and tagged them as exhibit ‘FILE D.’

Fagbemi while further addressing the panel, said the petitioners had closed their case.

The panel chairman, Justice Tetse Kume, adjourned further hearing till December 20 for the respondents to open their case.