The governorship candidate of the Allied Peoples Movement in the March 9 governorship election in Ogun State, Adekunle Akinlade, on Monday asked the Ogun State Governorship Election Petitions Tribunal to sack Governor Dapo Abiodun for allegedly committing falsehood in the forms submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission.
Akinlade and his party had alleged over-voting and said Abiodun lacked the qualification to contest the election in which he was declared winner.
Akinlade through his lead counsel, Mike Osuman, SAN, on Monday adopted his final written address before Justice Yusuf Halilu-led panel, praying the tribunal to disqualify Abiodun as a candidate in the March 9 polls.
Osuman also urged the court to invalidate the victory of Abiodun, the candidate of the All Progressives Congress and return Akinlade in his stead as the governor.
He submitted that Abiodun committed “illegality and falsehood” by submitting contradictory certificates variously to the INEC when he contested for Senate in 2015 and later governorship in 2019.
“Abiodun’s CF001 of 2015 and that of 2019 marked as exhibit 331 and 331A by the tribunal were characterised by inconsistency, smacked falsehood thereby falling short of a person occupying office of the governor,” the petitioner said.
He also accused the INEC of aiding Abiodun in using “fake documents” to contest the election.
“On grounds of public policy, he must not be allowed to benefit from his wrongdoing. The second respondent (Abiodun) authored and swore to exhibit 331 and 331A. The content if juxtaposed showed there was falsehood. I urge the panel, that if falsehood is established, it should not only disqualify him, but also invalidate his election,” the petitioner said.
In his submission, Abiodun’s lead counsel, Prof Taiwo Osipitan, SAN, described the APM’s petition as dead on arrival and urged the tribunal to dismiss it.
Osipitan submitted that the issue bordering on Abiodun’s certificates was a pre-election matter which had already been determined by the court.
Also counsel for the APC and INEC, AJ Owonikoko, SAN, and Teslim Adewuyi, equally asked the tribunal to dismiss the petition, saying the petitioner failed to prove alleged substantial non-compliance during the election.
The chairman of the panel promised to communicate the notice of the judgment date to the legal teams.
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