25th November, 2022
By Joshua Oladipo/Olajide Idowu
The Osun Election Petitions Tribunal, sitting in Osogbo, on Friday ordered the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Mahmoud Yakubu, to produce Sen. Ademola Adeleke’s results used during the 2018 governorship election in Osun.
The document tagged “INEC Form CF001” is being demanded by Counsel for the All Progressive Congress (APC), the Petitioners.
Justice Tertsea Kume, the Tribunal Chairman, gave the order in his ruling on the arguments and counterarguments by both the petitioners and the respondent’s counsel as regards the INEC Form CF001.
Kume said it would amount to denying the petitioners their right to a fair hearing after the respondent (INEC) had failed to comply with the subpoena order with regard to what the petitioners were demanding.
He claimed that the Osun Resident Electoral Commissioner, Dr Mutiu Agboke, was represented by one Shehu Muhammad and failed to produce Form CF001, claiming that the document was not in their custody in the state.
The tribunal chairman said that the petitioner had shown enough grounds with regard to their application/subpoena request.
He ordered INEC Chairman to produce the document on the next date of adjournment.
Kume, therefore, adjourned the case until Dec. 1 for a further hearing.
Earlier, on November 16, the Tribunal had overruled the respondents’ (INEC’s) oral application seeking to discountenance a subpoena brought by the petitioner.
The respondent had earlier brought an application to counter the subpoena request, before withdrawing it on personal grounds, and it was struck out by the tribunal.
NAN