APC to tribunal: Oni Didn’t Participate in Any Primary Known to Law

All Progressives Congress (APC) has moved an application before the Ekiti State Election Petition Tribunal insisting that the Social Democratic Party (SDP) candidate in the June 18 governorship election, Chief Segun Oni, lacked the locus standi to file a petition before the three-member jury.

APC in its application at the resumed sitting of the tribunal yesterday was seeking an order striking out the petition filed by Oni on the grounds that the SDP standard-bearer was not sponsored as candidate for the governorship poll, “as he did not participate in any primary election known to law” before purportedly obtaining nomination form.

Governor-elect Biodun Oyebanji urged the tribunal to strike out  averments in relevant paragraphs in Oni’s petition for containing allegations of commission of criminal offences against persons whose identities remain undisclosed in the petition.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) urged the tribunal to throw out Oni’s petition because it contained several paragraphs that “are vague, inchoate, generic, omnibus, imprecise, exploratory and generally lacking in precision.”

The electoral umpire, which maintained that the petition was filed in flagrant breach of the relevant electoral laws on pleadings, contended that allegations of criminality raised by Oni must, of necessity, be tied to named and identifiable individuals who committed same.

Respondents in the petition are Governor-elect Oyebanji (1st), APC (2nd), Alhaji Mai Mala Buni and APC Caretaker Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee (3rd), INEC (4th) and Deputy Governor-elect Mrs. Monisade Afuye (5th).

The tribunal Chairman, Justice Wilfred Kpochi, adjourned sitting till today.