Oyo governorship: Makinde, Adelabu, INEC adopt final written addresses at tribunal

The Oyo State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal has
admitted the final written addresses filed by Seyi Makinde of the
Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Adebayo Adelabu of the All
Progressives Congress (APC) and INEC in a petition challenging
Makinde’s victory in the March 9 election.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Adelabu and his
party, APC, are challenging the declaration of Makinde by INEC as
the winner of the election.

NAN also reports that Makinde, the candidate of the PDP, polled
a total of 515,621 votes to defeat his closest rival, Adelabu, who
had 357,982 votes.

Other respondents in the petition are the PDP and INEC.

Adopting his final written address, the counsel to INEC, Akinolu
Kehinde (SAN), urged the tribunal to dismiss the petition for being
grossly unmeritorious and lacking in substance.

Kehinde said that the petitioners erroneously put the burden of
proof on INEC whereas the responsibility of proof lies on the
petitioners.

He said that the petitioners complained of irregularities in
1,334 polling units and only called 38 polling unit agents out of
which majority of them confirmed that the election conducted by
INEC complied strictly with the Electoral Act.

Kehinde said that it was the responsibility of the petitioners
to bring at least one witness from the 1,334 polling units
complained of and urged the tribunal to dismiss the petition.

Makinde’s counsel, Dr Omyechi Ikpeazu (SAN), said that the
reliefs sought by the petitioners were faulty and evidences of the
other witnesses not called amount to hearsay and urged the court to
dismiss the petition.

Adopting his final written address, counsel to PDP, Nathaniel
Oke (SAN), urged the tribunal to dismiss the petition on the ground
of inadequacy of evidence and lacking in merit.

But the counsel to Adelabu and APC, Yusuf Alli (SAN) , urged the
court to hold that the petition was meritorious and that other
witnesses not called have their statement properly laid before the
tribunal.

Alli said that under the law the number of witnesses called
cannot override what had been properly laid before the
tribunal.

According to him, cases are not won on the quantum of witnesses
called but on the quality of testimony of the witnesses called,
adding that the testimony of petitioners’ witness number 62 (PW62)
speaks volume.

Alli said that there were massive electoral infractions in 28
out of the 33 local governments called and a document spoke for
itself after being adopted.

He said that a certified true copy of a document could be
tendered by anybody and not only the maker, urging the tribunal to
find merit in it.

The three-man panel of the tribunal led by Justice Sirajo
Muhammed commended the counsel for their cooperation throughout the
proceedings, adding that a judgment date would be communicated to
them.

In an interview with newsmen, Adelabu, who was present at the
tribunal, called on his supporters to be calm and law abiding,
saying victory would come their way. (NAN)