Oyo LG poll: Tribunal holds inaugural sitting, fixes June 20 for petitions hearing

The five-man Election Petition Tribunal on May 12, 2018, local government election held in Oyo State, has fixed June 20 for the commencement of consideration of the petitions before the panel.

The two petitions before the inaugural sitting of the Justice Diran Akintola tribunal in Ibadan bother on Claimant of ownership of the Chairmanship election result in Lagelu local government election Mr Oyesanmi Toriola and that of one Gafar Isiaka claiming to be councillor elect and was not declared the winner.

Toriola is contesting that another person was allowed to contest for Chairmanship after he had emerged through consensus as candidature of the All Progressives Congress (APC) at the primaries held at Lafia Hotel, Apata, Ibadan in March.

Drawn in the petitions are the Oyo State Independent Electoral Commission (OYSIEC), All Progressives Congress (APC) and others.

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The case was adjourned to June 20 for the commencement of trial.

One of the defendants’ counsel, Tajudeen Abduwahab, informed the panel that his clients had a preliminary objection to the petitions, citing legal points that would compel the tribunal to entertain the preliminary objections before the substantive suit.

But Justice Akintola said the panel would act judiciously and judicially on whether the preliminary objections would be taken first, taken together with the substantive suit or after, when the time comes, insisting that trial would not commence at the inaugural sitting.

Akintola further urged the counsel to ensure that they file all their processes and effect services of the processes on the appropriate parties before the beginning of the trial.

At the inaugural sitting, OYSIEC was represented in court by Mr Sunday Aborishade while APC was represented by its Legal Adviser, Mr. Jide Makinde.