By OLA AJAYI
IBADAN—The Oyo State petition tribunal has rejected some documents which Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, tendered before it to support its allegation of dual citizenship against Governor Abiola Ajimobi.

The party is challenging the declaration of Senator Ajimobi as the winner of the April 2011 governorship election among others, on the ground of alleged dual citizenship of the United States of America and Nigeria.

After presenting the documents, there were arguments and counter-arguments on the admissibility of the documents by the lead counsel to the petitioner, Mr. Nathaniel Oke, SAN.

Alhaji Bashiru Akanbi, the factional State Secretary of PDP had identified the documents which were a letter written by the PDP counsel to the Minister of External Affairs requesting for a document on the alleged dual citizenship of Ajimobi and the reply from the ministry.

Oke explained to the panel that the documents were connected to the ones in the petition and that they proved the efforts made to get the USA American Passport and social security certificate of Ajimobi.

Though, Oke pleaded for the acceptance of the documents as exhibits E and F, the lead counsel to Ajimobi and ACN, Mr. Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, SAN, opposed it on the grounds that they were not part of the pleadings of the petitioner in the petition.

In his argument, Akeredolu noted that the letters should not be accepted by the tribunal because there was no reference to them in the petition.

He added that the documents the petitioner was presenting to the panel were made during the pendency of the petition.

He said the documents were made on 22 August, 2011 when the filing of the petition had expired.

Supporting the objection raised against the presentation of the documents, counsel to Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, Alhaji Ahmed Raji, said the documents were not admissible because they were not indicated in the petition.

Justice Abdulkadir Pindiga, chairman of the three-man panel ruled that the documents were not admissible.

Counsels in the matter then closed their cases and the tribunal adjourned to October 10 2011 for the adoption of the written addresses.