Ismaeel Uthman
A total of eight Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SAN) have been hired by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Governor-elect, Sen. Ademola Adeleke, to defend them at the governorship election petition tribunal, sitting in Osogbo, capital of the State of Osun.
No fewer than 45 other lawyers are reportedly in the legal team of both the PDP and Adeleke who are second and third respondents in a petition filed by Governor Adegboyega Oyetola against Adeleke’s declaration as the winner of the July 16, 2022 governorship election in the state.
OSUN DEFENDER reliably gathered that the legal team of the PDP and Adeleke will be led by popular election legal experts like Alex Ezion, SAN; Dr. Onyechi Ikpeazu, SAN; Chief Nathaniel Oke, SAN; Mr Kehinde Ogunwumiju, SAN; Dr Paul. Ananaba, SAN; among others.
The Deputy Director of Adeleke Campaign Council, Barr. Kolapo Alimi, told the medium yesterday that the PDP has assembled his legal team to ‘thrash’ Oyetola’s petition.
According to Alimi, Oyetola’s petition at the tribunal is just a waste of the ‘precious time’ of the judiciary.
It would be recalled that the PDP had on Tuesday filed and submitted its defence to Oyetola’s petition at the tribunal, praying the court to dismiss the petition.
According to the PDP, the governor’s petition is frivolous and baseless.
The response was submitted to the tribunal by the Caretaker Committee Chairman of the PDP, Dr. Adekunle Akindele.
Akindele told the tribunal that Adeleke convincingly won the election and was duly declared the winner, stating that there was no over-voting in any of the polling units being challenged by Oyetola and the APC.
He asked the election tribunal to dismiss Oyetola’s petition, describing it as frivolous, baseless, and un-meritorious.
Maintaining that the election was free, fair and credible without any iota of non-compliance with the Electoral Act, 2022, Akindele said the allegations listed in Oyetola’s petition are lame and imaginary.
Akindele concluded that the petition filed by Oyetola and the APC is time-wasting and effort in futility, noting that Adeleke, the governor-elect, fulfilled all qualification criteria and conditions to run for the election.
