Osun Assembly Election: Tribunal Okays Action Alliance’s Petitions

Yusuf Oketola

THE elec on pe ons tribunal, si ng in Osogbo, Capital of the State of Osun, has given the Ac on Alliance (AA) the go ahead to con nue with its pe ons against the outcome of the House of Assembly elec on held in the state on March 18 this year.

Earlier, counsel to the Peoples Democra c Party (PDP) and All Progressives Congress (APC) had urged the court to dismiss the pe ons based on some reported irregulari es.

The Ac on Alliance is challenging the results of the elec on in 22 cons tuencies won by candidates of the PDP.

However, when the case came up on Tuesday, the tribunal dismissed both PDP and APC’s objecons to the AA’s pe ons, saying that the party has right to challenge the outcome of the elec on.

The tribunal also declared that the party has the right to change its counsel as the law allows pe oners to change counsels whenever they deem fit.

This was borne out of the AA’s request to discon nue the service of its former counsel, Mr Muhydeen Adeoye, and present Onyinye Nweze as the new counsel.

Adeoye who was represented by Kafayat Sanusi at the tribunal alleged that the law firm was yet to be paid.

But the Na onal Chairman of the party, Dr. Adekunle Rufai Omoaje who was also present in court, denied the Sanusi’s claim, telling the tribunal that his party engaged the services of Kunle Adegoke, SAN and no other person.

Omoaje said the transfer of the legal services was not known to him, no ng that his party prefers the services of Nweze.

The tribunal granted AA’s request to change his counsel, just as it adjourned the case to August 15, 2023 for hearing.