BREAKING: Tribunal Dismisses Adelabu, APC’s Application To Recount Ballot Papers (See Reasons)

The Oyo state governorship
Election Petition Tribunal has
dismissed an application filed
by Mr Adebayo Adelabu,
governorship candidate of the
APC to recount all the ballot papers used in the March 9 election.

It was gathered that Adelabu and his party are
challenging the declaration of Seyi Makinde,
governorship candidate of PDP, by INEC has the
winner of the March 9 governorship election in
Oyo state.

Adelabu through his Counsel, Mr Titus Asaolu ,SAN, had filed an application seeking to recount all the ballot papers used in the March 9 election.

Delivering his ruling on Monday, the three-man
panel, chaired by Justice Sirajo Muhammed,
dismissed the application, adding that it would
jeopardise the respondents’ right to fair hearing.

Mohammed said that the petitioners were only
challenging the result of few local governments in
conduct of the governorship election and not all
the 33 local government of the state.

The judge said that filling an application now to count all the ballot papers used in the election would amount to amending the petitioners’
pleadings.

He said that the time allowed to amend pleadings
of all parties has elapsed and no pleadings can
be amended at this stage.

Mohammed said that the petitioners were also not
consistent on the date the election was conducted
as they were quoting different date in their
application.
The judge then dismissed the application and
fixed June 10 for commencement of hearing,
adding that pre-hearing has ended.