The Kwara State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal on Friday adjourned till July 9, hearing in the petition challenging the declaration of AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq as the state governor.

The governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Razaq Atunwa, had filed the suit, alleging that the governor presented a forged certificate to the Independent National Electoral Commission.

The adjournment followed the failure of the petitioner to present a witness from the West African Examination Council with supporting documents.

The tribunal had expected the examination body to present the documents last Friday, following the commencement of full hearing in the petition.

Counsel to the petitioner, Abdulwahab Bamidele, told the court that he was reliably informed that the WAEC officials from Lagos mandated to produce the documents missed their flight to Ilorin last Friday morning.

Bamidele prayed the tribunal to stand down the case till 3pm for the WAEC officials to present evidence when they must have arrived Ilorin by road.

But counsel to INEC, Rowland Otaru, opposed the application.

Otaru said the petitioner ought to have called another witness if he had a case to prove.

AbdulRazaq’s counsel, Kunle Kalejaiye (SAN), also told the court that the election petition tribunal was a serious business and the court should not allow the petitioner to drag the trial forever.

Counsel to the All Progressives Congress, Akin Olujimi (SAN), prayed the court to dismiss the petition, pointing out that there was procedural heresy in the application.

He suggested the adjournment of the case till July 9 and 10 for the petitioner to bring all his witnesses.

The tribunal said the application to stand down the trial had no merit and insisted that the court would not grant any extension to any of the parties.

The tribunal granted the application for the adjournment till July 9 and 10, saying the petitioners were still within their time limit of four days to argue their case as agreed during the pre-hearing trial.

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