Oyo tribunal extends sitting

By Jackson Udom - 27.01.2008

The Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital has extended till Monday, the hearing of the petition filed by the All NIgeria Peoples Party (ANPP), Senator Isiaka Ajimobi against the governor of the state, Otunba Adebayo Alao Akala .

This was against an earlier decision of the tribunal to make the defendant close its defence on Saturday. The tribunal said the change in the date was necessitated by a ruling it would deliver on Monday as a result of arguments on the admisibility or ortherwise of a newspaper publication on the indictment of Akala by an Administrative Panel of Enquiry.

Prince Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), counsel to the governor, had invited Hon. Ismail Yemi Yusuff as a defence witness to tender two rulings of an Oyo State High Court and one of a Federal High Court, including the Gazette which Akala's administration issued on June 7, 2007 to counter the earlier one by former governor, Senator Rashidi Ladoja which indicted him of corruption.

Hon.Yusuff who was subpoeaned by Akala's counsel through the tribunal, was a Special Adviser to Akala during his 11-month administration as Governor .

Cross-examining the witness, Chief Adeniyi Akntola (SAN), counsel to Ajimobi, told the court that the Gazzette which the witness presented was issued on June 7, 2007 after the last April 14, 2007 general elections.

He also stated that the ruling of former Acting Chief Judge, Mr Afolabi Adeniran, wherein he set aside Ladoja's indictment was delivered on June 8, 2007, while the originating summons leading to the ruling of Afolabi was delivered on June 5, 2007.