The Osun Election Petitions Tribunal, sitting in Osogbo, on Friday ordered the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, to produce Senator Ademola Adeleke’s results used during the 2018 governorship election in Osun State.
The document tagged, “INEC Form CF001” is being demanded by the counsel for the All Progressive Congress, the petitioners.
The tribunal chairman, Justice Tertsea Kume, gave the order in his ruling on the arguments and counterarguments by both the petitioners and the respondent’s counsel as regards the INEC Form CF001.
Kume said it would amount to denying the petitioners their right to fair hearing, after the respondent (INEC) had failed to comply with the subpoena order regarding what the petitioners were demanding.
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He said the Osun Resident Electoral Commissioner, Dr Mutiu Agboke, represented by one Shehu Muhammed, failed to produce the Form CF001 on the excuse that they did not have the document in their custody in the state.
The tribunal chairman said the petitioner had shown enough grounds with regards to their application/subpoena request.
He ordered INEC chairman to produce the document on the next date of adjournment.
Kume, therefore, adjourned the case until December 1, 2022, for further hearing.
The Tribunal had on November 16 overruled the respondents (INEC)’s oral application seeking to discountenance a subpoena brought by the petitioner.
The News Agency of Nigeria further reports that the respondent had earlier brought an application to counter the subpoena request, before withdrawing such on personal grounds and it was struck out by the tribunal.
NAN
