The Osun State Election Petitions Tribunal on Tuesday admitted the documentary evidence tendered by Governor Gboyega Oyetola against the declaration of Ademola Adeleke as the state’s governor-elect.
Mr Oyetola and APC had, on August 5, submitted a petition before the tribunal in Osogbo.
The governor and the APC were challenging election results from 749 polling units across 10 local government areas of the state for various electoral malpractice, especially overvoting.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had declared Adeleke as the winner of the July 16 governorship election, having polled 403, 271 votes against 375,027 polled by Mr Oyetola.
Among the documents admitted in evidence by the tribunal were the INEC Regulation and Guidelines for the election, INEC Manual for Electoral Officials, and Forms EC8As, which were election results for Osogbo, Ede North and Ede South, among others.
At the hearing on Tuesday, counsel to the APC, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), informed the tribunal that in accordance with paragraph four of the pre-hearing report of the tribunal, all documents formally tendered before the tribunal were certified true copies of reports as obtained.
Mr Fagbemi also said the documentary evidence sought to be tendered had been cross-checked by the respondents, and they all agreed that it should be tendered from the bar.
He then sought to tender the documents as listed on the schedule already submitted to the tribunal, which included the regulations and guidelines issued by INEC for the election.
Mr Fagbemi also sought to tender another evidence, which contained the “Schedule of the Documents” to be tendered.
Counsel to INEC, Paul Ananaba, however, objected to all the documents tendered by the petitioner.
Mr Ananaba said he would explain his objection in the final written address.
Similarly, Onyeachi Ikpeazu (SAN), the counsel to Mr Adeleke and Alex Izinyon (SAN) for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), objected to the admissibility of the evidence, indicating that they would give reasons in their final addresses.
In his ruling, Justice Tertsea Kume, the tribunal chairman, admitted in evidence all the documents tendered by the petitioners and marked them as exhibits.
Mr Kume urged all parties to conclude the exchange of documents to be tendered before the tribunal on or before November 3.
He also urged both parties to call their witnesses from November 16 for a seamless judicial proceeding.
The tribunal adjourned until Wednesday for the continuation of the hearing.
NAN