Osun Election Petition: Aregbesola Asks Tribunal to Dismiss Omisore’s Claims

                           

                            Governor Rauf Aregbesola

Yinka Kolawole in Osogbo

Governor Rauf Aregbesola of Osun State has formally filed his response to the petition by the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Senator Iyiola Omisore and his party at the state Election Petitions Tribunal.

In the reply dated  September 22, the governor challenged the competence of the petition on the  some  grounds.

According to him, the petitioner lacked the locus standi to present the petition, having not shown that he was validly a candidate at the election subject to his petition.
Other grounds he observed are that the allegations contained in several paragraphs of the petition are vague, general, generic, not specific, speculative, omnibus, imprecise and nebulous.

Aregbesola also noted that several paragraphs of the petition raised a pre-election issuees which the tribunal has no jurisdiction to entertain.

Aregbesola equally contended that  petitioners did not meet all the conditions precedent to the presentation of the petition, saying the grounds on which the petition was based are unknown to law.

Apart from the preliminary issues raised against the competence of the petition, Aregbesola, the 1st respondent,   averred that the petitioners did not score up to 25 per cent of the lawful votes cast in each of the 30 local government areas in the state and did not satisfy the provisions of the constitution and the Electoral Act.

He also averred that in the polling units and wards being challenged by the petitioners, entries were properly made in Forms EC8A and there were no malpractices and acts of irregularities as alleged and the result of the election was not tilted against the petitioner and in favour of the 1st and 2nd respondents as alleged or at all.

On allegations that O’YES cadet were used as ad hoc staff, governor denied such allegation and further averred that Osun Youth Empowerment Scheme (O’YES) is an interventionist programme of the state government, creating a volunteer scheme to reduce unemployment among the youths in the state irrespective of political affiliation.

In support of the reply,  Aregbesola front-loaded 603 witnesses, including ordinary voters who volunteered on their own to state what they witnessed across all the local government being challenged by the petitioners.

He concluded that the petition in its entirety is academic and hypothetical and has not disclosed any cause of action to warrant the tribunal to entertain it.
He therefore urged the tribunal to dismiss the petition in its entirety.

The Secretary to the State Government, Alhaji Moshood Adeoti, who was among the witnesses listed, after deposing to his witness oath in the court, said, the petition against the re-election of his principal would fail.

He said it was to the knowledge of everybody that the election was peaceful and reflected the wishes of the people as against the allegation of the petitioners.
Also, the Commissioner for Women and Children Affairs, Mrs. Mofolake Adegboyega, a witness, said the petition was baseless and could not have any effect on the election because it was the wish of the people that prevailed.