Osun: Election tribunal grants Oyetola’s request for substituted service on Adeleke

The Osun State 2022 Election Petition Tribunal, on Monday, granted the ex parte applications filed by Governor Gboyega Oyetola of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

The tribunal ordered that the petition notice should be pasted on the Tribunal’s notice board as another means to serve state governor-elect, Senator Ademola Adeleke.

The tribunal also ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to release Osun election materials used at the poll to Oyetola and the APC for inspection.

The tribunal panel Chairman, Tertsea Aorga Kume, and a member, Benedict Amangbo Ogbuli presided over the sitting which was held at the premises of the state High Court in Osogbo.

Recall that the INEC had declared Adeleke 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 currently challenging the result of the governorship election at the tribunal.

Eaglesforesight reported that the tribunal said Adeleke could not make himself available to receive the petition, saying efforts made by its bailiff to serve him were not successful and that the official left Adeleke’s country home in Ede without serving him and cited security reasons.

Counsel to Oyetola, Chief Yomi Aliyu, Senior Advocate of Nigeria, opted that the tribunal should serve Adeleke the court process through its notice board.

Also, the court granted the second application of Oyetola who sought an order of inspection of documents from the first respondent (Independent National Electoral Commission).

Speaking in an interview after the court sitting, counsel to the petitioner, Chief Yomi Aliyu, SAN, said, “we brought two applications; one application is for substituted service, the other application was for inspection of documents. When we were arguing the applications, we referred to one exhibit where the bailiff said he went to serve the second respondent (Adeleke) in Ede, the gate was locked, they asked him to speak with somebody, he spoke to that person and the next thing the person told him was a like a threat and so, he had to leave the place.

“Quoting him (bailiff) now, “I left the place for my safety.” That’s what he wrote, hence, we applied to the court and the court has granted the applications. First to inspect the documents and to serve the second respondent by substituted service.”