The Governorship Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital, has fixed Saturday for judgment in the election petition challenging the victory of Governor Dapo Abiodun in the March 9 governorship election.
Hon. Abdulkabir Adekunle Akinlade and his party, the Allied People’s Movement (APM) filed the petition in which they are challenging the declaration of Abiodun as winner of the election by the Independent National Electoral Commission (EFCC).
Consequently, they are asking the tribunal to upturn Abiodun’s victory and that of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Counsel to one of the parties informed reporters that the three -member panel led by Justice Yusuf Halilu has fixed Saturday, September 14, 2019, as the day for delivering its judgment on the petition.
Also, the Tribunal Secretary, Nyior Henry Sekulla told reporters over the telephone that the three-man panel had fixed judgment for Saturday.
“The judgement has been fixed for Saturday, September 14. And we have sent formal notification to all parties including calls and text messages,” the Sekulla said.
Akinlade and his party filed the petition marked EPT /OG/ GOV/ 01/19, in which they alleged over-voting in favour of Abiodun.
He also alleged that Governor Abiodun lacked the qualification to contest the governorship election.
The Tribunal had in its August 19 sitting reserved its judgment, after the parties to the petition adopted their respective final written addresses, and promised to notify them when the judgment would be ready.
And while adopting his final written address, the petitioner (Akinlade) through his lead counsel, Mike Osuman (SAN) asked the court to disqualify Abiodun as a candidate of APC in the last governorship election and nullify his declaration as winner by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Akinlade also prayed the tribunal to return him as the governor.
But, Abiodun’s lead counsel, Prof. Taiwo Osipitan (SAN), described the APM’s petition as one that lacks merit and dead on arrival, urging that it should be dismissed in its entirety.
