…Omisore files his too; Osun PDP legal adviser decamps to APC

By Gbenga Olarinoye

OSOGBO—ACTIVITIES at the Osun Governorship Election Petition Tribunal set up by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to address complaints arising from the just concluded August 9 election will today pick up as it hears a petition filed by the state All Progressives Congress, APC asking the tribunal to produce all the electoral materials used during the voting exercise for examination.

It is also expected to receive the petition of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Governorship candidate in the election, Senator Iyiola Omisore, today.
This came as PDP’s state Legal Adviser, Prince John Abolarinwa Abidoye, yesterday dumped the party for the APC.

Governor Rauf Aregbesola and Senator Iyiola Omisore

APC is seeking for the relief of the tribunal panel to inspect, make copies and conduct manual and forensic examination of all the electoral materials used for the poll.
The APC through its lawyers, including its National Legal Adviser of the party, Dr. Muiz Banire, Kunle Adegoke, AbdulRahman Okunade and M A Okunade, is also seeking the order of the tribunal to allow the exparte motion be conducted outside the pre-hearing session of the matter.

It also prayed the tribunal to permit its agents, for the purpose of defending the petition, “take certified true copies and conduct manual and physical inspection of all electoral materials. to wit, Forms EC8A, EC8B, EC8C, EC8D, EC8E, EC40A, EC40B, EC40C, EC40F, EC40G, EC25, EC25B (Electoral Material Receipt), EC1A, EC60, INEC list and codes of the Polling Units, Wards and Local Government Areas in Osun State, Voters’ Registers of all the electorate in Osun State, Form EC17 (oath/affirmation of neutrality), Stubs of ballot papers used, Used and Unused ballot papers, EC25 series, all forms EC60E, rejected ballot papers, tendered ballot papers, actual ballot papers recorded as spoilt, list of the Polling Agents in the conduct of the election, list of all ad-hoc staff engaged by INEC.”

The party is also asking the Tribunal to produce the true copies of all polling documents and materials used for the conduct of the election.
The party further asked the tribunal “to allow its forensic expert(s), to take and inspect, by way of machine/electronic scanning, all ballot papers which were used for the conduct of the governorship election in the said local governments areas.”

It  also urged the tribunal to permit handwriting and forensic expert (s)” to conduct an inspection of Forms EC8A, EC8B, EC8C, EC8D, EC8E and all forms and materials used for the conduct of the governorship election in the state in the aforesaid local government areas and other orders as the tribunal may deem fit to make in the circumstances.”

Omisore files his petition

Senator Omisore expected to fill his petition today, before the state Elections Petition is challenging the outcome of the election in some Local Government Areas in the state, where he alleged that the election was marred with irregularities.

According to a statement  by the Press Officer, Iyiola Omisore Organization, Mr. Victor Oriola, both the PDP and Omisore were not satisfied with the results of the election and are ready to challenge it by seeking legal redress.

The statement  read in part “after a comprehensive review of the processes leading to the announced outcome of the August 9, 2014 gubernatorial election in Osun State, we are convinced that there were massive irregularities and monumental fraud perpetrated by Mr Rauf Aregbesola led All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state. Therefore, we have decided to challenge this brazen attempt to subvert the wishes of the electorate who came out to support our Rescue Mission Campaign, and Gubernatorial Candidate of the Osun State PDP at the Tribunal as provided for by the constitution and electoral laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

“In our effort, we are mindful of the massive investment in deceit-driven propaganda unleashed on the citizens of Osun State by the APC. This, they hope will distract attention from how electoral heist was perpetrated by Aregbesola and his colleagues long before the elections and the deployment of O-YES cadets as election officers to compromise the valid votes of the good people of Osun state.”

Abidoye’s defection

Meanwhile,  Prince  Abidoye  as at the time of dumping the PDP yesterday, was the Secretary of PDP’s Legal Committee, the committee saddled with the responsibilities of compiling the party’s petition on the August 9 governorship election.
Abidoye hinged his crossover to APC on the outstanding performance of Governor Rauf Aregbesola, who is striving diligently to reposition Osun so as for it to be ranked among the comity of state in the nation.

He said the result of August 9 governorship election in the state was a true reflection of the people’s wishes and aspiration, saying “The people of Osun truly voted for Aregbesola. Across the states, they spoke loud and clear.”