The three-member panel of the Election Tribunal hearing the petitions arising from the June 20, 2026 governorship election in Ekiti State has frowned against the Action Alliance (AA) over its perceived lukewarm attitude in pursuing its petition.
The Chairman of the panel, Justice Abubakar Kutigi, made the feelings of the judges known on Friday, following the failure of the AA to bring its witnesses to the Tribunal as earlier promised making it a third consecutive time the party has failed to make its witnesses available to give evidence.
The AA could not come up with any of its witnesses at the tribunal sitting on Friday after the Social Democratic Party (SDP) brought six witnesses who testified on the conduct of the election in the units and wards where they served as party and collation agents.
Both the AA and the SDP which scored 126 votes and 179 votes respectively in the governorship poll are challenging the return of Governor Biodun Oyebanji of the All Progressives Congress (APC) by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
INEC is the first Respondent in the petition while Oyebanji is the second Respondent.
All the SDP witnesses for the day were led in their examination-in-chief by the party’s counsel, Ebenezer Akinbuli and were equally cross-examined by counsel to INEC, Tunde Salako and counsel to Oyebanji, Adetunji Oso, SAN.
After all the SDP witnesses had given evidence and the case adjourned till Monday, September 28, the tribunal chairman then urged Akinbuli, who is also the counsel representing the AA continue the prosecution of the petition with presentation of the party’s witnesses as promised on the last day of sitting.
But Akinbuli’s request for another adjournment on the premise of looking around for witnesses did not sit well with the tribunal judges as the chairman of the panel, Justice Kutigi, expressed reservations with the failure of the counsel to proceed with the case.
Justice Kutigi said: “If you are not interested in this case, you these people (AA) should just close your case. If at this stage you have not made up your mind on what you want to do, we can’t just keep adjourning every time and you know that this is an election petition.
“We find this strange and we are not here to play. How does it sound for you to stand before us saying you will be looking for witnesses, after how many months? When was this case filed? Why not pursue this case? You are the counsel, try and take charge of this matter.”
Akinbuli apologised to the judges on the panel and pleaded that he be given the last chance to bring the AA witnesses to court on Monday promising “to do the needful on the next day of adjournment.”
Counsel to INEC, Salako and counsel to Oyebanji, Oso, said they had no objections to the AA’s counsel’s request for adjournment till Monday to bring the party’s witnesses to the tribunal for the first time to give evidence in support of their petition.
Justice Kutigi consequently adjourned the petition till Monday, September 28 for continuation of hearing.
