19:02:00
ILORIN- The electoral victory of the senate president,Senator Bukola Saraki of the All Progressives Congress(APC)in the last senatorial election being challenged by the candidate of Peoples Democratic Party(PDP) in Kwara central senatorial ,Alh Abdulrazaq Abdulrahman was on wednesday in Ilorin adjourned till July 22,2015 by the three- man State and National Assembly election petition tribunal led by Justice Josiah Mejabi.
The PDP senatorial candidate in the election, Alhaji Abdulraham alleged in the suit that, the election of senate president during the election of March 28, 2015 was marred with electoral irregularities and therefore sought the election tribunal to declare him as the winner of the election.
Although, the hearing in the case was slated to commence yesterday but the petitioner’s counsel, Professor Rasheed Ijaodola requested for adjournment to enable them complete the inspection of materials used for the election.
It would be recalled that, Justice Mejabi had earlier given the petitioners leave to inspect the materials while hearing in the case was slated for yesterday.
However, the petitioner’s counsel, Professor Ijaodola told the tribunal that the hearing could not commence because they were yet to complete the inspections of the materials.
Ijaodola lamented that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) did not give them access to the information contained in the card reader, saying that until they have access to the data, the hearing could not continue.
According to him, “If we don’t know the fact on the computer, our petition cannot be properly established. We need to compare the figure from the card reader with the certified true copy of result given to us. The two have to be compared”.
As petitioner’s counsel continued with his argument, a letter was presented to the tribunal by INEC, saying that the commission had given the petitioners necessary cooperation in the inspection of the materials.
According to the letter directed to the tribunal, INEC was said to have told the petitioner that the information contained in the card reader had been transferred to the central server in Abuja, implying that the petitioner has to go to the INEC headquarters to get the data.
At this point, the tribunal chairman, Justice Mejabi asked the petitioner’s counsel if they were duly informed of the development to which he answered saying that they did not receive any communication to that effect.
However, counsels to the respondents including Yusuf Ali, SAN (representing Saraki), Alarape Salman, SAN representing INEC and that of the APC, Abdulwahab Bamidele opposed the application for adjournment, insisting that the petitioner was given necessary access to the materials.
But,delivering his ruling, the tribunal chairman, Justice Majebi granted the request for adjournment with a condition that the petitioners would lose one day from the six days given to them to open their case.
He adjourned the case to 22nd of July, 2015 for hearing.
