TRIBUNAL STOPS ADELABU FROM RECOUNTING BALLOT PAPERS

The Oyo State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal has dismissed an application filed by Mr Adebayo Adelabu, the governorship candidate of the APC to recount all the ballot papers used in the March 9 election.

Reports have it that Adelabu and his party are challenging the declaration of Seyi Makinde, governorship candidate of PDP, by INEC as the winner of the March 9 governorship election in Oyo State.

Adelabu filed an application seeking a recount of all ballot papers used during the March 9 election through his Counsel, Mr Titus Asaolu.

Delivering his ruling on Monday, the three-man panel, chaired by Justice Sirajo Muhammed, dismissed the application, adding that it would jeopardise the respondents’ right to a fair hearing.

Mohammed said that the petitioners were only challenging the result of few local governments in conduct of the governorship election and not all the 33 local government of the state.

The judge said that filling an application now to count all the ballot papers used in the election would amount to amending the petitioners’ pleadings.

He said that the time allowed to amend pleadings of all parties has elapsed and no pleadings can be amended at this stage.

Mohammed said that the petitioners were also not consistent on the date the election was conducted as they were quoting different date in their application.

The judge then dismissed the application and fixed June 10 for the commencement of the hearing, adding that pre-hearing has ended.