Ekiti Governorship Tribunal: Non-service of documents stalls hearing

Hearing of Election Petition filed by Prof. Olusola Kolapo, governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party in the July 14 Ekiti State governorship election was on Wednesday adjourned till Thursday by the tribunal in Abuja.

Justice Sulaiman Belgore, chairman of the tribunal held that an adjournment had become the only reasonable option following complaints of non-service of processes by defendants’ counsel.

He therefore ordered that all processes must be exchanged by all the counsel before Thursday.

At the resumed session, Mr Yusuf Ali (SAN), informed the three-man panel that the petitioners were ready to proceed.

He said the petitioners had already commenced the presentation of their cases before the tribunal by tendering the certified true copies (CTCs) of all electoral materials used in the disputed election.

According to him, he has filed before the tribunal registry a schedule of all the documents properly identified and given serial numbers to be used to prove their allegations.

Ali said the documents had been served on all the respondents.

However, Chief Akin Olujimi (SAN), counsel for Governor Kayode Fayemi said his team was yet to be served with the documents.

NAN reports that the schedule of documents was eventually served on Olujimi in the open court following the intervention of Justice Belgore.

The PDP and Kolapo had approached the tribunal, challenging the declaration of Fayemi of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as the winner of the July 14 election.

The petitioners joined Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as a nominal respondent.