Osun poll: Tribunal to hear Oyetola’s application today

By Jeleel Olawale

The Election Petition Tribunal for the Osun State governorship election has fixed today, Monday for the hearing of an ex-parte application filed by Governor Gboyega Oyetola.

This is coming after the Electoral Tribunal failed to serve the Governor-Elect, Ademola Adeleke court process on the petition challenging his victory.

The election tribunal secretary, David Umar, while speaking with journalits, said the Governor-elect could not make himself available to receive the service.

Umar said counsels to Oyetola had approached the tribunal with an ex-parte application for substituted service on Adeleke.

According to him, if the application sails through, the tribunal would have been empowered to effect service of the court process on Adeleke using other means such as pasting it on the Governor-elect’s residence, on the notice board of the panel or any other place as ordered by the court.

Recall that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declared the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) the winner of the July 16 governorship election in Osun State having polled a total number of 403, 271 votes against 375, 027 polled by Governor Oyetola.

Oyetola is challenging the result of the governorship election at the tribunal.