Counsel for both parties in the ongoing Election Petition Tribunal hearing arising from the last July 16 Osun governorship election, on Friday, adopted their final written addresses, where they claimed victory for their clients.
At the proceedings which lasted about 10 hours, including two short breaks observed by the panel, the counsel advanced argument on their final written addresses already filed before the court.
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Addressing the court separately after adopting their written addresses, counsel for the respondents, the Independent National Electoral Commission, Prof. Paul Ananaba, SAN, Mr. Onyeachi Ikpeazu, SAN, who represented Senator Ademola Adeleke, and Dr Alex Izinyon, representing the Peoples Democratic Party, in their separate submissions, said the PDP candidate won the election, and asked the panel to dismissed the petition against his victory.
Ikpeazu specifically said the petitioners did not call any documentary evidence to prove that Adeleke forged any documents, noting that no witness was also called from the institutions that issued the certificates to him to prove forgery allegations.
He also said a Court of Appeal had ruled on the case of forgery against Adeleke and pronounced him qualified to contest seat of governor.
He further stated that errors observed on Adeleke’s testimonial were noted by the court as ones that could have been corrected by the Principal of the school he attended, who also testified before the court in the case.
But Mr. Lateef Fagbemi, the lead counsel for the petitioners in the matter – All Progressives Congress and its candidates at the poll, Adegboyega Oyetola, in his submission before the panel, said the election was held in non-compliance with the Electoral Act and INEC guidelines.
Fagbemi, who dismissed reported lack of synchronisation of results as of the time INEC gave the petitioners report from its server, also said INEC was not in a hurry to declare results of the governorship poll.
He also said that the commission did not also indicate that the report the petitioners obtained from it was an interim one or incomplete.
He said in the final analysis of results of the poll done by the petitioners in their final addresses, over voting was established and asked the panel to rely on BVAS report that his clients brought which was not challenged by the respondents to determine the case.
Advancing argument to prove Adeleke’s ineligibility to contest the election, Mr. Akin Olujinmi, who also appeared for the petitioners, said the PDP candidate could not have obtained Testimonial in 1988 and Osun State would be written on the document, when the state had not been created at all.
In remark before adjournment, the chairman of the panel, Justice Tetsea Kume, said the parties would be informed the day of the judgement.
