Hearing for the Osun Election Petition Tribunal has been postponed.
The Tribunal met today to examine a petition resulting from the gubernatorial election on July 16.
A subsequent meeting has been moved to Tuesday, October 4, for respondents to submit their responses to the issues raised for resolution.
The sitting of the panel, presided over by the chairman of the panel, Justice Tertsea Kume, on Monday in Osogbo, Osun State, was also attended by other members of the panel; Justices Benedict Amaugbe and Bashiru Rabi.
Addressing the panel, Prof. Kayode Olatoke, who represented the petitioners, Mr. Adegboyega Oyetola and the All Progressives Congress, informed the panel that he had filed the pre-trial form containing his responses to issues listed for determination.
Olatoke, who appeared with Yomi Aliyu and Muritala Abdulrosheed, SAN, also said the respondents, Independent National Electoral Commission, Senator Ademola Adeleke and the Peoples Democratic Party, had been served.
He asked the tribunal to stand down the matter for two hours, so that the respondents can also file their pre-trial form for the matter to proceed to hearing.
But lead counsel for the respondents, Prof. Paul Ananaba, who appeared with Oluwole Jimi-Bada, Mubarak Adekilekun and Nurudeen Kareem, said he had not seen copy of the petitioners’ pre-trial form.
Ananaba then insisted that the respondents should be allowed seven-day window stipulated in the second schedule of the Electoral Act for them to respond appropriately.
In his ruling, the chairman of the panel, Justice Kume, adjourned the matter to Tuesday, October 4, before which the respondents must have filed their pre-trial forms.
