Ibekimi Oriamaja Reports
the petitioners’ request for access to election materials is granted
Osogbo’s Shina Abubakar
The motion exparte presented before it by Governor Adegboyega Oyetola and the All Progressives Congress, APC, for a substituted service on the state governor-elect, Senator Ademola Adeleke, was granted by the Election Petition Tribunal sitting on the recently concluded governorship election in Osun state.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), which had proclaimed Adeleke the victor of the July 16 governorship election, had received a challenge from Governor Adegboyega Oyetola.
Oyetola and the All Progressives Congress, APC, claimed at the tribunal’s hearing, which was presided over by Justices Tertsea Aorga Kume, Chairman, and Benedict Amangbo Ogbuli, that Adeleke had been thwarting attempts by the bailiff to serve him with the petition.
The first and third respondents, INEC and PDP, have allegedly been served, but Adeleke refused to pick up the paperwork from the bailiff when the court official arrived at his house to serve him, according to the attorney.
The security guard later instructed the bailiff to leave as there was no direction to collect the paperwork and he had to leave the scene for his safety, the bailiff was held at the gate to wait for instructions to drop the message, the security guard said.
In a separate oral application, Aliyu requested that the tribunal order INEC to give the petitioners access to the electoral materials, including the scanning of the ballots used in the election.
In her decision on the petitions, tribunal Chairman Justice Tertsea Aorga Kume approved the request for substituted service and authorized the bailiff to post a copy of the document for the attention of the second respondent on the tribunal notice board.
The tribunal further orders the first respondent to give the first and second petitioners/applicants access to the election materials and to let them scan the ballots used in the process.
