Kayode Animasaun
The 2024 Ondo state Governorship Election Petitions Tribunal witnessed a hot argument on Saturday as the All Progressives Congress urged the tribunal to dismiss the petition filed by the People’s Democratic Party and its candidate, Agboola Ajayi, challenging the qualification of Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa and his deputy Olayide Adelami over alleged certificate forgery.
During the adoption of pre-hearing applications in Akure, counsel to the PDP and Ajayi, Bankole Akomolafe SAN had asked the Panel to expunge his prayer for a fresh governorship election as it was no longer relevant to the petition.
With the development, the Petitioners are left with only the ground bordering on the qualification of the deputy governor, Adelami.
However in his argument, the APC counsel Tayo Oyetibo SAN urged the panel to dismiss the qualification prayer of the Petitioners because it would amount to abuse of court process.
Oyetibo argued that the appeal court had given a judgement on the same matter being brought before the Tribunal by the petitioners.
According to him, It will be disobedience to the provision of the constitution to proceed to trial.
He said, “Trial should not be open because there’s a judgement bidding on All parties. There’s nothing to try by the Tribunal for now.
“It will be a waste of judicial resources for us to open trial. Opening Trial will mean that we are not enforcing the judgement of the appeal Court in accordance with section 287 sub 2 of the constitution.
“The Tribunal should not allow the Petitioners to lure it into disobeying the appeal Court,“ he argued.
Similarly, the Counsel to Aiyedatiwa, Chief Wole Olanipekun, SAN, urged the Panel to grant his Applications.
Olanipekun however stated that the Tribunal should strike out the Petitioners petitions because it lacked Consistency and an attempt to confuse the panel having filed similar case before the high court.
Responding, the counsel to PDP and Ajayi, Bankole Akomolafe, SAN, urged the panel to discontenance the objections of the defendants counsels and proceed on the hearing of the petitions.
According to Akomolafe, the appeal before the supreme Court should not stop the proceeding before the Tribunal.
Bankole argued that the objections raised by Olanipekun and Oyetibo were raised under repealed laws, therefore not competent.
Reacting to the argument, the Chairman of the Panel, Justice Benson Ogbu deferred ruling on the matter to the final Judgement.
The Tribunal also adjourned till Thursday 20th February, 2025 for proper hearing of all the petitions before it.