Oyo guber: Tribunal gives report on pre-hearing in petition filed by APM against Gov Makinde

From Oluseye Ojo, Ibadan

The Governorship Election Petition Tribunal, sitting in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, on Monfay heard the applications of the Allied Peoples Movement (APM), challenging the victory of Governor Seyi Makinde in the March 18, 2023 poll, and his party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

The petition was filed on the grounds that the conduct of the election did not comply with the provisions of the Electoral Act. The APM stated further that “The election was invalid by reason of corrupt practices or substantial non- compliance with the provisions of the Electoral Act. And that the second respondent was not duly elected by majority of lawful votes cast at the election.”

The party prayed that the panel should void Makinde’s re-election and declare its governorship candidate winner of the election.

The first respondent in the case is the Independent National Electoral Commission(INEC), while the second respondent is PDP. The third respondent is Governor Makinde..

The report will be given by 3pm. today (Tuesday) by the three-man panel, being chaired by Justices Ejiro Emudainohwu, with Justices Baraka Wali, and I.S. Galadima, as members

The INEC had declared Makinde winner of the governorship election, polling 563,756 votes. The petitioner, however, scored 303 votes. But the governorship candidate of APM for the 2023 poll, Adeniran Adeyemi Oluwaseye, was not listed among the petitioners. However, Oluwaseye and the party’s state chairman, Otunba Peter Fagbemi, and some other executive members of the party,, have reportedly dissociated themselves from the petition.

Counsel to Governor Makinde, Otunba Kunle Kalajaye (SAN), prayed the tribunal, through a Notice of Preliminary Objection, dated June 7, 2023, to strike out certain paragraphs of the petition on the grounds that they “are vague, bogus, very bullish, not specifically precise and so inconsequential. The second leg is asking your lordship to strike out the entire petition for being skeletal.”

Counsel to PDP, Isiaka Olagunju (SAN), also asked the panel, through an application dated May 26, 2023 to strike out the petition for being “incompetent, vexatious, abusive, fundamentally- defective and vesting no jurisdiction on the tribunal to entertain it. Also in the alternative, to strike out certain paragraphs of the petition as it affects our application.”

Counsel to the petitioner, M.O. Owolabi. said APM has 67 witnesses and 42 documents to bring before the panel. But Kalejaye objected to all the documents. Counsel to INEC, Dr. A. O. Ajana (SAN), said he would call only one witness and one subpoeaned witness.