Osun Gov Poll: Tribunal Grants Oyetola, APC’s Request For Substituted Service On Adeleke

THE Election Petition Tribunal in Osun State, yesterday, granted a motion exparte for substituted service on the governor-elect, Senator Ademola Adeleke.

Governor Adegboyega Oyetola had challenged the outcome of the July 16 governorship election in which the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, declared Adeleke as the winner.

At the tribunal sitting, presided over by Justices Tertsea Kume and Benedict Amangbo Ogbuli, Oyetola and the All Progressives Congress, APC, through their counsel, Mr Yomi Alliyu, SAN, said Adeleke has been evading efforts by the bailiff to serve him with the petition.

Alliyu said: “The bailiff was kept at the gate to wait for instructions to drop the message but the security guard later ordered the bailiff to leave as there was no instruction to collect the document and he has to leave the scene for his safety.

“We have about five places that we will be seeking the court to allow the substituted service to be pasted but we will prefer it to be pasted on the tribunal’s notice board.”

Ruling on the applications, tribunal Chairman, Justice Kume granted the application for substituted service, allowing the bailiff to paste a copy of the document on the tribunal notice board for the 2nd respondent’s attention.

The tribunal also ordered the 1st respondent to allow 1st and 2nd petitioners/applicants access to materials used for the conduct of the election and to allow the petitioners to scan the ballot papers used for the exercise.

Gov-elect busy with transition business — Aide

Speaking after the proceedings, the media sub-committee chairman for the Transition Committee, Olawale Rasheed, denied reports that the Governor-elect evaded court service, stating that “Senator Adeleke is very much in Osun attending to transition responsibilities in preparation for his assumption of office in November.”

Rasheed, in a statement, said: “Filing and securing the application for substituted service does not call for any jubilation as the processes are normal and allowed within the nation’s jurisprudence. It is part of the legal process for which litigants can avail themselves. It is neither an indictment nor a vindication of any actor within the adjudication environment.”