TRIBUNAL UPDATE: Omisore’s Lawyers Tender Incomplete Voters Register

Hearing on the petition challenging the victory of Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola in the August 9 Gubernatorial election in the state of Osun continued on Saturday 22/11/2014 with tendering of voters register for Atakunmosa East, Boripe and Ede North Local Government.
There were a lot of serious observations raised by the counsel to Respondents ranging from missing pages in the register to certification of several pages of the register sought to be tendered and pencil inscriptions on all the pages of the document.
Specifically, In Atakunmosa East Local Government, the petitioner sought to tender voters register in ward 2,3,4,6,7, and 8. Apart from the facts that inscriptions were on all the pages, unit 3 of ward 6 has a missing front page.
In Boripe Local Government, the petitioner sought to tender voters register in wards 1-5. Apart from pencil inscriptions on all the pages of the register, ward 1unit 4 and ward 3 unit 3 have no page 1.
In Ede North Local Government, petitioner sought to tender voters register in 11 wards. Apart from the usual pencil inscription on all the pages of the register, INEC Counsel, Ayo Ogunleye Esq observed that ward 4 unit 004 pages 15,40,43,44,45,46,47,48 and 50 are missing while page 51 bears no certification.
Ward 5 unit 003 pages 31-41 are missing, while in unit 008 of ward 9 page 80 is missing.
The final straw was the observation that in unit 001 of ward 9, pages 20-29 have no certification. The documents were admitted in evidence subject to the objection of the Respondents being incorporated at the final address.
The learned Counsel for the Petitioner, informed court around 10am that they need a stand down till 3pm to enable them sort out other register from the remaining Local Government. The court granted the application after all the respondents indicated that they have no objection.
OSUN DEFENDER
Don’t Insult me, Aregbesola’s Counsel Tells Omisore’s Lawyer
Counsel to the Osun State chapter of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Professor Yemi Osibajo, SAN, has warned the lead counsel to Senator Iyiola Omisore, and the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, governorship candidate in the August 9 election in the state, Chief Chris Uche, SAN, against impugning the professional integrity of his team.
Osibajo was reacting to alleged consistent statements by Omisore’s counsel that Governor Rauf Aregbesola, APC and INEC legal teams were deliberately delaying the hearing of the petition filed against the election.
Uche, had at the continued hearing of the petition of Omisore and PDP against Aregbesola’s re-election before the Justice Elizabeth Ikpejime-led tribunal sought to tender the register of voters’ used in all the units and wards of the 17 local governments, including the ones not being challenged in the petition.
VANGUARD