A substantive chairman has been named for the Governorship Election Petition Tribunal in Oyo State following the retirement of the pioneer chairman, Justice F.C Obieze who reportedly proceeded on mandatory retirement after attaining the age of 65 few weeks ago.

The panel chairman, Justice Mohammed Mayaki will be assisted by Justices Muhammed Karaye and J.E Ikede.

At the resumed sitting of the tribunal, the pre-hearing session on the petition filed by the Accord Party gubernatorial candidate during the 2015 general election in the state, Rashidi Ladoja, against the state governor, Abiola Ajimobi started

Ladoja and his party, Accord Party, are challenging the electoral victory of Governor Ajimobi, before the tribunal and they joined APC, the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in the state and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in the case.

The INEC had returned Ajimobi as winner of the April 11, 2015 gubernatorial poll in the state having polled 327,310 votes and Ladoja scored 254,520 votes.

But the pre trial conference was stalled following complaints over non-service of a fresh application by the petitioners on the defendants.

The lead counsel for the petitioners, Mr. Richard Ogunwole (SAN), had told the panel that he has a pending application that all preliminary objections should be taken with the substantive action for accelerated hearing.

Ajimobi’s counsel, Chief Wole Olanipekun (SAN), the lead counsel for APC, Mr. Rotimi Akeredolu (SAN) and lead counsel to REC and INEC, Mr. Adeboye Shobanjo, said they were not served. But Ogunwole explained that it was the duty of the court bailiffs to serve motions on respondents.

Olanipekun and other respondents’ counsel told the panel that the petitioners did not list the application for consolidation of motions in the Form TF 008 (Information Sheet) submitted to the tribunal on June 21, so the motion was not ripe for hearing.  

He told the panel that he has two motions before the tribunal; the first one prayed the tribunal to strike out the entire petition and the second motion asked the panel to strike out the entire reply of the petitioners to the first respondent motion.

But Ogunwole defended why he did not include the application for consolidation in the Form TF 008, saying he did everything within the confines of the laws.

Olanipekun said based on the fact that Ogunwole’s application was not ripe for hearing, the tribunal should hear his two motions. Akeredolu also asked the court to hear his motion that the petition against APC be struck out.

The tribunal held that the petitioners’ applications should be moved first. So, it reached an agreement with the defendants to file their written addresses to the motion for consolidation of application by Saturday this week, instead of seven days, while the petitioner must also respond before the next adjournment day.

Justice Mayaki then adjourned the pre-hearing to Tuesday June 28, 2015, when applications would be taken.