The Election Petition Tribunal constituted to hear the petitions arising from the Osun State governorship election has granted an ex parte order to Senator Ademola Adeleke, restraining the Independent National Electoral Commission from altering election results as well as information contained in the card reader machines and other documents used for the poll.
The tribunal, headed by Justice T.A. Igoche, which also has Justice P. A. Obayi as a member, granted this order in Osogbo on Thursday during its sitting before the commencement of pre-hearing session.
Senator Adeleke, who was the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party had, through his counsel, Mr Nathaniel Oke (SAN), filed an ex parte application seeking leave of the tribunal to file the application before the pre-hearing session.
Addressing the fear raised by the applicant that INEC might not respect the tribunal’s order except they were armed with a certified true copy of the order, Justice Igoche said there was nothing stopping the panel from issuing the order to the applicant on the same day.
There was a heavy presence of armed policemen and operatives of the Department of State Service on the court presides and outside the court as security operatives were deployed to prevent the destruction of the proceedings at the tribunal.
