TRIBUNAL UDPATE: Judges Express Worry Over Owolade’s Petition

Members of the Osun State Election Petition Tribunal on Monday expressed worry over the way the petition of the Accord Party governorship candidate, Mr. Niyi Owolade, was being handled by his legal team.
Owolade’s counsel, Bisi Adedayo, at the resumed hearing of his petition against the August 9 re-election of Governor Rauf Aregbesola, requested that the tribunal should stand down for some times to enable INEC officials produce the election materials listed in the subpoena issued on the commission.
But the tribunal Chairman, Justice Elizabeth Ikpejime, said the application for Subpoena was made on Friday by the petitioner counsel, and she signed it about 4pm on the said day.
Noting that the commission was just served on Monday morning when the tribunal started sitting, she queried the possibility of the production of the election material by INEC for the day’s proceeding.
INEC Counsel, Ayotunde Ogunleye, said he was not aware of any subpoena on the commission to produce the election materials, saying he could not comment on the matter.
Subsequently, members of the tribunal, Justices V.I Ofesi and A.I Kutigi, wondered why the petitioner counsel had to wait till the “zero hour” to apply for a subpoena.

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