The Osun State Election Petitions Tribunal on Tuesday admitted the documentary evidence tendered by Gov. Gboyega Oyetola, against the declaration of Sen. Ademola Adeleke as the Governor-elect.
Gov. Oyetola and APC had on Aug. 5 submitted a petition before the tribunal in Osogbo.
Oyetola and APC were challenging election results from 749 polling units across 10 local government areas of the state for various electoral malpractice, especially over voting.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had declared Adeleke as the winner of the July 16 governorship election, having polled 403, 271 votes against 375,027 polled by Oyetola.
Among the documents admitted in evidence by the tribunal were the INEC Regulation and Guidelines for the election, INEC Manual for Electoral Officials, Forms EC8As, which were election results for Osogbo, Ede North and Ede South, among others.
At the hearing on Tuesday, Counsel to the APC, Mr Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), informed the tribunal that in accordance with paragraph four of the pre-hearing report of the tribunal, all documents formally tendered before the tribunal were certified true copies of reports as obtained.
Fagbemi also said that the documentary evidence sought to be tendered had been cross-checked by the respondents and they all agreed that it should be tendered from the bar.
He, then sought to tender the documents as listed on the schedule already submitted to the tribunal, which included the regulations and guidelines issued by INEC for the election.
Fagbemi also sought to tender another evidence, which contained the “Schedule of the Documents” to be tendered.
Counsel to INEC, Ananaba, however, raised an objection to all the documents tendered by the petitioner.
Ananaba said he would give reasons for his objection in the final written address.
Similarly, Onyeachi Ikpeazu (SAN) Counsel to Adeleke and Alex Izinyon (SAN), for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), objected to the admissibility of the evidence, indicating that they would give reasons in their final addresses.
In his ruling, Justice Tertsea Kume, the tribunal Chairman, admitted in evidence all the documents tendered by the petitioners and marked them as exhibits.
Kume, then urged all parties to conclude the exchange of documents to be tendered before the tribunal on or before Nov. 3 .
He also urged both parties to start calling their witnesses as from Nov. 16 for a seamless judicial proceeding.
The tribunal adjourned until Wednesday for continuation of hearing.
