Election tribunal grants Oyetola’s request for substituted service on Adeleke

The Election Petition Tribunal sitting on the petition by the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress in the July 16 poll in Osun State, Adegboyega Oyetola, has granted his application to serve Senator Ademola Adeleke, the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party in the poll and Governor-Elect, notice of the petition through substituted means.

Oyetola had challenged Adeleke’s victory at the poll before the Tribunal and also joined the Independent National Electoral Commission and the Peoples Democratic Party in the suit. The tribunal at its maiden sitting on Monday in Osogbo, also granted the motion ex parte filed for an order for inspection of documents in the custody of the first respondent, Independent National Electoral Commission.

Counsel for Oyetola and the All Progressives Congress, Mr. Yomi Aliyu, had told the tribunal sitting presided over by the chairman of the panel, Justice Tertsea Kume, which also had Justice Benedict Ogbuli, that a bailiff given the task could not serve Adeleke notice of the petition.

Aliyu further explained that the person met at the entrance to the PDP’s candidate’s residence in Ede refused to take the document from the bailiff that went to serve him. He also told the panel that he would prefer that the notice be pasted on the notice board at the entrance of the tribunal sitting venue.

Ruling on the two motions, Justice Kume granted the reliefs sought by Oyetola and ordered that the notice should be pasted on the notice board at the entrance to the venue of the tribunal sitting. He also granted request by the petitioners to scan the voter registers and ballot papers used for the election.