Ondo Guber: Tribunal Warns Counsel Against Making Personal Contact

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*Dismisses two petitions

The Ondo State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal, which
was constituted to hear complaints on the October 10, 2020,
election in the state, yesterday warned counsel appearing before it
against making any form of personal contacts with any of the
members of the panel.

The Chairman of the tribunal, Justice Umar Abubakar, issued the
warning at the inaugural sitting of the tribunal yesterday.

The candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Eyitayo
Jegede, had filed petition against the electoral victory of
Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu of the All Progressives Congress
(APC), who was declared winner by the Independent National
Electoral Commission (INEC).

While soliciting the cooperation of the interested parties
towards accelerated sitting, Abubakar maintained that all contacts
should be channeled through the registrar of the tribunal.

The tribunal chairman declared that all the petitions are time
bound.

“There should be no communication, be it official or private,
with any member of the tribunal. All means of communication should
be channeled through the registrar.

“Whatever relationship you have with any member before now
should not be exhibited throughout the sitting,” he stated.

While assuring the tribunal of the necessary cooperation needed,
counsel for APC, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), that of Jegede, Onyechi
Ikpeazu (SAN) agreed that no time would be wasted during the
sitting.

Jegede is challenging the victory of Akeredolu at the tribunal
on three grounds.

The PDP candidate averred that “Akeredolu was not validly
nominated by his party, the APC. By the provisions of section 183
of the 1999 Constitution, a serving governor of a state (in this
case, Yobe State Governor, Mai Mala Buni) cannot serve as the
national chairman of APC at the same time to nominate Akeredolu as
the candidate of their party for the Ondo State election.

“Section 183 states that: ‘The governor shall not, during the
period when he holds office, hold any other executive office or pay
employment in any capacity whatsoever.”

Jegede added in the petition that “Article 17, Section 1V of the
APC Constitution also provides that any official of the party
cannot simultaneously occupy any other executive office in the
government.

“The election was marred with violence in some local government
areas as well as issues of over-voting in other areas.”

Meanwhile, the tribunal at its sitting dismissed two out of the
three petitions filed before it

The dismissed petitions were that of the All Peoples Party (APP)
and that of the Action Alliance (AA).

The tribunal dismissed the petitions sequel to the failure of
the petitioners to file pre-trial forms, which the panel described
as fundamental.

The tribunal awarded N100,000 cost against the petitioners in
favour of each respondent in the dismissed petitions.

With the dismissal of the two petitions, the tribunal now has
only the petition of the PDP candidate to attend to.

Meanwhile, early yesterday morning, suspected hoodlums caused
confusion outside the Ondo State High Court complex, the venue of
the sitting of the tribunal.

The hoodlums, armed with dangerous weapons, stormed the Oba
Osupa Road as early as 8:30 a.m. brandishing cutlasses, broken
bottles and cane ostensibly to attack whoever dares them.

The rampaging hoodlums attacked some people attempting to gain
entry into the premises of the court.

One Sunday Oladunmoye, who is the driver of one of the attorneys
of the PDP, Mr. Sola Oke, was injured in the process by the
hoodlums.

However, the prompt arrival of the military and other security
agencies, in response to the call for reinforcements, saved the
situation.