Ekiti: Fayemi knows fate soon as Tribunal adjourns sine die


The Ekiti state Governorship Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Abuja yesterday adjourned sine die (indefinitely) for judgment in a petition by the flag-bearer of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Mr Kolapo Olusola challenging the electoral victory of Governor Kayode Fayemi in the last gubernatorial election in the state which held in July 2018.

The three-member tribunal headed by Justice Suleiman Belgore fixed judgment in the matter yesterday after parties took turn to adopt
their written addresses.

Blueprint reports that after the election results went against them, Olusola together with his political party had invoked the original
jurisdiction of the tribunal to challenge the outcome of the 2018 governorship election which saw Fayemi emerge as the winner of the.election.

The PDP’s governorship candidate had in his petition before the.tribunal alleged that Governor Fayemi was not qualified to contest the
2018 gubernatorial election in the state on the account that he was.caught by the provision of section 182 (1) (i) of the 1999 Constitution having been indicted by the report of the Odewole
Judicial Commission of Enquiry and specifically barred from participating in politics for ten years.

Olusola also contended that contrary to the declaration of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), he claimed that he
actually garnered the majority lawful votes cast at the poll and should have been declared elected.

He also contended that the election in question was not conducted in substantial compliance with the provision of the extant Electoral Act
as the sitting governor and candidate of APC at the poll, Dr. Kayode Fayemi allegedly engaged in vote-buying, widespread rigging and other
electoral malpractices.

He also alleged that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) officials favoured the governor during the election.

The petitioner had called 71 witnesses, among whom were Sunday Olowolafe, PDP legal adviser in Ekiti state; the state collation agent, and polling unit agents to prove his case.

Kolapo through his team of counsel yesterday begged the tribunal to enter judgment in his favour, sack Governor Fayemi and declare him
(Kolapo Olusola) the winner of the 2018 gubernatorial poll in Ekiti State.

But both Governor Fayemi and INEC took their time to counter all the grounds raised by Olusola to unseat the governor.

According to the governor, the contention by Kolapo Olusola that he was not qualified to contest the election by virtue of the provision
of section 182 (1) (i) of the 1999 Constitution, having been allegedly been indicted by the report of a judicial commission of enquiry, was
misplaced.

The governor argued that more than eight years ago, the controversial provision of section 182 (1) (i) of the 1999 Constitution which Olusola heavily relied upon had been deleted from the organic law of the land by the First Alteration Act 2010.

Fayemi also argued further that were there not a judgment that nullified the said report, he said the report in question actually never indicted him of fraud but that he was invited but did not show
up making the panel to issue a ban against him which had been nullified by an extant judgment of a competent court.

The governor who urged the tribunal to throw out the petition also argued that the petitioner made wide criminal allegations of vote buying, thumb-printing, and allied malpractices without providing evidence to prove such beyond reasonable doubt.

The INEC also toed the path of Governor Fayemi in its argument and urged the tribunal to dismiss the petition.

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