Aregbesola And Omisore Await Tribunal Final Verdict

The Election Petitions Tribunal sitting in Osogbo, on the hearing from the Osun State governorship election held on August 9, 2014, has adjourned indefinitely for final judgment. The Chairman of the three-man panel, Justice Elizabeth Ikpejime, said this in her ruling on Friday after parties in the case had adopted their final written addresses.

The Peoples Democratic Party’s governorship candidate, Senator Iyiola Omisore, prayed the tribunal to declare him the winner of the total lawful votes cast during the poll and return him as the governor of Osun State. However, Governor Rauf Aregbesola, who is the first respondent in the case, urged the panel to dismiss the petition. Chief Akin Olujinmi ( SAN), who represented the first respondent argued that the petitioner failed to prove his petition.

Counsel for the All Progressives Congress, Mr. Rotimi Akeredolu (SAN), also urged the tribunal to dismiss the petitioner’s petition.Counsel for the Independent National Electoral Commission, Mr. Ayotunde Ogunleye, toed the same line of argument by the first two respondents in the case. Security was beefed up around the court premises as armed policemen, and operatives of the State Security Service were deployed in the area to ensure that there was no breakdown of law and order.