ADO-EKITI—INDICATIONS emerged, yesterday, that the Election Petition Tribunal mediating the July 14 governorship election petition in Ekiti State has relocated its sitting to an undisclosed venue.
The relocation was sequel to cases of insecurity around the Ekiti State High Court in Ado-Ekiti, the venue of the Election Tribunal.
However, sources close to the Tribunal disclosed to newsmen that the sitting may be relocated to Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory.
Counsel to the petitioner, Mr. Adebayo Adelodun, SAN, highlighted cases of insecurity and threat to lives encountered among the crowd that massed at the court’s gate before the commencement of sittings.
The demand was supported by the counsels to the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC; Chief Charles Edosomwan, SAN, and that of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Chief Akin Olujimi, SAN, and the lawyer to the party’s candidate, Dr Kayode Fayemi.
The lawyers claimed they were nearly mobbed by those suspected to be party goons on their way to the court in the morning, which constituted serious security threat to their lives and the course of justice and that the crowd were not discriminatory in their attacks.
In his ruling, Chairman of the tribunal, Justice Suleiman Belgore said: “Following the issue of insecurity raised by the lawyers that there were threats to lives around the court, lawyers to the respondents expressed similar inclinations that the venue should be relocated to another city citing cases of insecurity to lives.
“We are critically mindful of the consequences of the applications made by the counsel to the petitioner, which was not opposed by the counsels to the respondents.
“We have rubbed minds and came to the conclusion that this fear is real that the situation is becoming insecure and tense and we can’t trivialise such.
“We, hereby, grant the application because of the consequences the insecurity could have on this Tribunal and the new venue shall be communicated.”
through our Secretary to all parties within 48 hours.”
Early in the morning, there was heavy security beef up around Ado-Ekiti High Court, where the Governorship Election Petition Tribunal was located as the 3-man panel of Tribunal judges set up to hear the petition trailing the outcome of the July 14 election began sitting.
APC, PDP bicker
Meanwhile, the Chairman, House Committee on Information, Samuel Omotosho, accused the APC of instigating attack on PDP lawmakers and other members of the Party at the Court premises.
But reacting to the allegation, the new state chairman of APC, Omotosho Paul Ayodele, said: “The allegation is unfounded and that is so unfortunate. The area where they claimed to have been attacked is occupied by those, who are mere spectators, who just came around to see what is happening at the court. So, for anybody to now conclude that they are APC members is unfair.”
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