(NIGERIA) The Election Petitions Tribunal sitting in Oshogbo, today dismissed the petition, initiated by the governorship candidate of the Accord Party (AP), Niyi Owolade challenging the August 9, 2014 election that returned Governor Rauf Aregbesola.
The court, presided over by Justice Elizabeth Ikepjime also awarded N150,000 against the petitioner. It would be recalled that Owolade had through his lawyer, Jacobs Adedayo at the resumed hearing on Thursday, announced the withdrawal of the petition.
The lawyer added that the petitioner decided to discontinue with the case on the reason that the panel would not be able to conclude the mater within 180 days allotted to it by the Electoral Act.
Instead, the governor who did not object through his lawyer, Wale Afolabi, prayed the panel to award a cost of N5 million against the petitioner.
Even lawyer to the APC, Basiru Ajibola, maintained that all grounds of the application were “speculative, hypothethical, and calculated to scandalise the judicial process of the tribunal. He therefore asked the tribunal to award cost to the tune of N10 million against the petitioner.
INEC's lawyer, Ayotunde Ogunleye, described the petition as gross abuse of court process with a further position that such should not be condoned. He also asked for a cost of N25 million against the petitioner.
The tribunal however frowned at the grounds upon which the petitioner based his application to withdraw the petition.
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