By Zacchaeus Ozovehe.
The Appellate Court sitting in Abuja has today adjourned hearing on the case challenging the victory of Kogi Central Senator, Senator Yakubu Oseni to 9th October, 2019.
Senator Yakubu Oseni was on 23rd February this year declared winner by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) having scored the highest votes cast.
However, the duo of Barr. Natasha Akpoti of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) and Senator Salawu Ogembe of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), citing some alleged electoral irregularities challenged the result of the election at the Kogi State Election Petition Tribunal that sat in Abuja.
The tribunal led by Hon.Justice A.O Chijioke had on 30th August, 2019 struck out the suits of the petitioners for lack of merit and failure to prove their allegations of non-compliance with the provisions of the Electoral Act.
Still having a window of appeal, the petitioners had approached the Appeal Court challenging the victory of Senator Yakubu Oseni at the tribunal but hearing was stalled today because counsel to Senator Ogembe failed to transmit record of the judgement to the court.
The Appellate Judge having observed some irregularities in the submissions of the Counsel ordered that complete record should be provided and that Counsel to the INEC should be served by People’s Democratic Party.
Counsel to the INEC will file in its submission on Friday while that of the PDP will be on Monday.Hearing was adjourned to Wednesday 9th October, 2019.
