…as Tribunal adjourns to July 9
By Kayode Adeoti
Kwara State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal on Friday adjourned till 9th and 10th of July for further hearings in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)’s petition challenging the declaration of Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq on the allegation that he presented a forged certificate.
The petition was filed by Hon. Abdulrazak Atunwa, the candidate of the PDP in the governorship election in Kwara State.
The adjournment followed the absence of the witness from the West African Examination Council (WAEC) with the subpoena and other supporting documents.
The tribunal had on Thursday adjourned to Friday for the examination body to present the subpoena, following the commencement of full hearings in the petition of the PDP.
Counsel to the petitioner, Abdulwahab Bamidele, told the court that he was reliably informed that the officials of the West African Examination Council (WAEC) in Lagos which the tribunal mandated to produce the subpoena missed their flight to Ilorin on Friday morning.
Bamidele prayed the tribunal to stand down the case till three o’clock in the afternoon for WAEC officials to present evidence of the subpoena when they must have arrived Ilorin by road.
Counsel to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Rowland Otaru objected to the application, saying that there is no iota of sincerity in the application.
Otaru said the petitioners had on Thursday told the court that the subpoena would be brought to Ilorin through courier service and wondered why the petitioner claimed that officials of WAEC missed their flight in Lagos on Friday.
Otaru suggested that the petitioner ought to call another witness instead even as he prayed the tribunal to compel him to do so.
On his part, counsel to Abdulrazaq, Kunle Kalejaiye (SAN), asked the tribunal to treat the application as frivolous.
Counsel to the All Progressives Congress (APC) Akin Olujimi (SAN) prayed the court to dismiss the petition, pointing out that there is procedural heresy in the application.
He aligned himself with the first respondent.
Olujimi insisted that the court should rather adjourn the trial till ninth and 10th of July for the petitioner to bring all his witnesses.
He insisted that the court would not grant any extension to any of the party.
The tribunal, however, granted the application for adjournment to July ninth and 10th, saying the petitioners were still within their time limit of four days to argue their case as agreed during the pre-hearing trial.
