Tribunal fixes Feb 26 for final address on Ajimobi’s suit

By Dolapo Ekanade - 29.01.2008

February 26 has been scheduled for counsel to file in their final addresses as the Oyo State election tribunal closed its hearing on Monday on the petition filed by the All Nigerian People Party (ANPP) governorship candidate, Senator Abiola Ajimobi, challenging the election of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) counterpart, Chief Adebayo Alao-Akala, as the state governor.

For close to seven months, petitioner’s lawyer, Chief Adeniyi Akintola, had presented both hard and documentary evidences and had called in witnesses to back up his claims that electoral malpractices occurred in seven local governments, which affected the results in the area, while the defence, which opened its case late last year by calling its witnesses, closed on Monday.

The seven local governments in which violence and malpractices were alleged by the petitioner were Ogbomosho North and South, Ogo Oluwa, Surulere, Ibarapa East, Iseyin and Lagelu.

Meanwhile, the tribunal admitted in evidence a copy of a national daily published on March 26 2007, which published an advertisement on indictment, which Chief Akintola, Ajimobi’s lawyer insisted should be tendered.

The tribunal, which overruled the objection of Chief Makanjuola Esan, INEC’s counsel and Akala’s lawyer, Mr. Are Abdusalam, said the document was pleaded by the petitioner and was material to his case.