The Osun State Election Petitions Tribunal has fixed Oct. 13 for the hearing of all preliminary motions arising from a petition filed by Gov. Adegboyega Oyetola of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Oyetola filed the petition to contest the declaration of Ademola Adeleke of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), as the governor-elect at the conclusion of the election held in the state on July 16.
Oyetola joined INEC as respondent in the petition.
Chairman of the tribunal, Justice Tertsea Kume, pronounced the adjourned date in Osogbo on Tuesday to enable the petitioner and respondents to put their applications together with responses on issues formulated.
Earlier, counsel to APC, Prof. Lasun Sanusi (SAN), told the tribunal that his responses to pre-hearing had been filed and issues had also been formulated for it to determine.
Sanusi told the court that counsel for petitioner and respondents had agreed on the time for examination, cross-examination and re-examination of witnesses, with a view to ensuring that the hearing was not prolonged.
He said all parties had agreed that examination of witnesses should take five minutes, while cross-examination would take 10 minutes and re-examination takes five minutes.
“Also, examination of expert witnesses would take 15 minutes, while cross-examination would take 20 minute and re-examination takes five minutes.
“Counsel for the two parties have agreed that the panel should sit on the matter between Monday and Friday.
“All pieces of evidence to prove the case should be tendered by consent and in case of any objection, the ruling would be reserved till the final judgment stage,’’ he said.
Counsel to INEC, Mr Paul Ananaba (SAN) and those of the PDP, Mr Alex Iziyon (SAN) and Mr Adeleke Ogunwumiju (SAN), agreed to the scheduling of the hearing as listed by the petitioner’s counsel.
Ananaba told the court that six motions were filed before the court which would be taken at the next date of adjournment for hearing.
Also, counsel to PDP, Iziyon, told the tribunal that he had a pending application on the judgment of the Federal High Court which voided the candidacy of the petitioner, Gov. Oyetola.
He said the application would be submitted to the tribunal on the next adjourned date. (NAN)
