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Oyo Guber Election Tribunal To Sit On Saturdays

By Iyabo Lawal, Ibadan
13 June 2015   |   3:09 am
Citing time constraint, the Oyo State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal yesterday disclosed that it would sit day to day including Saturdays with a promise to be fair and ensure equity and justice to all parties in the dispute.
Ajimobi-1

Governor Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo State

Citing time constraint, the Oyo State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal yesterday disclosed  that it would sit day to day including Saturdays with a promise to be fair and ensure equity and justice to all parties in the dispute.

The Chairman of the three-man tribunal panel, F. C. Obieze  at the inaugural sitting  which was attended by politicians in large numbers from both the Accord  Party ( AP) and All Progressives Congress (APC) said “We look forward to a fruitful deliberation here, we will appreciate if the counsel and all the parties work within the stipulated 180 days so that we can dispense with all the cases within the time stipulated period”, he added.

The AP gubernatorial candidate in the last election, Rashidi Ladoja had dragged governor Abiola Ajimobi and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to the tribunal to challenge his victory.

Leading his two other members of the tribunal, I. M. Karaye and J.C. Ikede, the chairman maintained that the assignment of election petition “is regulated by time constitutionally and I want to assure all of you a fruitful session just as all the stakeholders must appreciate the fact that we all have a burden on our heads to ensure that we do everything within the stipulated time of 180 days.

He charged the counsel to all the parties involved in the case to avoid frivolous applications stressing that the tribunal would not allow or encourage anything that would unnecessarily delay the speedy dispensation with the case in a record time.

While promising fairness, equity and justice to all the parties involved in the petition, the tribunal chairman said “we shall sit day to day including Saturdays to ensure that we work within the stipulated time”.

Giving the assurance of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Ibadan branch, its chairman, Kazeem Gbadamosi in his response on behalf of other counsel, assured the tribunal members of cooperation with a promise that the counsel will stick to the guidelines spelt out by the tribunal.

Another Senior Counsel, Richard Ogunwole, SAN, in his reaction to the remark by the tribunal chairman also assured of his cooperation as well as that of his clients in ensuring that the assignment is completed with the 180 days stipulated by the constitution to entertain the petitions.

 

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