THE Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Ekiti, yesterday, reserved judgment to a date to be communicated to parties in the dispute arising from the governorship election held on 18th June 2022, in Ekiti State which produced Governor Biodun Oyebanji as the winner.

The Chairman of the three-member panel, Justice Wilfred Kpochi, reserved judgment for a later date after all parties adopted their final written addresses at the sitting held inside a packed courtroom in Ado Ekiti.

At the adoption of written addresses, Governor Oyebanji, his party, the All Progressives Congress, APC, and the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, yesterday, urged the Election Petition Tribunal to dismiss the petition filed by the Social Democratic Party, SDP, governorship candidate, Chief Segun Oni.

Oyebanji maintained that Oni and his party, the SDP, have failed woefully to sufficiently discharge the burden of proof on them to convince the Tribunal that the election did not comply with the provisions of the Electoral Act and the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 as amended.

Oni and the SDP are the 1st and 2nd Petitioners in case. The Respondents are Oyebanji (1st), the APC (2nd), Yobe State Governor Mai Mala Buni, in his capacity as the Chairman of the APC Caretaker Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee (3rd), INEC (4th) and the Deputy Governor, Mrs Monisade Afuye (5th).

Oyebanji and Afuye (1st and 5th Respondents) through their counsel, Prof. Kayode Olatoke (SAN), told the Tribunal that their written address was dated 29th October and filed on 30th October and adopted same before the Tribunal as evidence.

The Governor and the Deputy Governor further told the Tribunal through their counsel that they filed their reply on point of law which was dated and filed on 11th November upon the receipt of the Petitioners’ written address.

Credit: Vanguard