The Osun State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal sitting at the State High Court, Osogbo has granted the motion exparte brought before it by Governor Adegboyega Oyetola and the All Progressives Congress, (APC) for a substituted service on the governor-elect, Ademola Adeleke.
Governor Oyetola had challenged the outcome of the July 16, 2022 governorship election in which the Independent National Electoral Commission, (INEC) declared Adeleke as the winner.
The tribunal at its maiden sitting on Monday presided over by Justices Tertsea Aorga Kume, chairman, and Benedict Amangbo Ogbuli, also granted a motion ex parte filed for an order of inspection of documents in the custody of the first respondent, INEC.
The tribunal also granted the party’s request to do electronic scanning of ballot papers and voter’s registers used during the election among others.
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Oyetola and APC, through their counsel, Yomi Aliyu, pointed out that Adeleke has been evading efforts by bailiff to serve him with the petition. He said Adeleke refused to collect the document from bailiff when the court official got to his house to serve him
According to the counsel to the petitioners, the bailiff was kept at the gate to wait for instruction to drop the message but the security guard later ordered the bailiff to leave as there was no instruction to collect the document and he had to leave the scene for his safety”, he added.
While ruling on the applications, the tribunal chairman, Justice Tertsea Aorga Kume granted the application for substituted service, allowing the bailiff to paste a copy of the document on the tribunal notice board for the 2nd respondent’s attention.
Speaking with journalists at the tribunal, Aliyu promised that the tribunal will be the fastest election petition in Nigeria because the number of witnesses to be called will be very limited.
