Mr Ademuyiwa’s intention was made known through the Ondo State LP’s counsel, Femi Emodamori, at the Ondo State election petition tribunal in Akure.
The LP and its candidate had earlier petitioned the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) not to allow the party’s logo to be on the ballot paper during the election and asked for another election to be held in the federal constituency. The petitioners included Mr Tunji-Ojo and INEC in their petition.
Mr Emodamori asked the tribunal to allow him to make an application for amendment in the petition by removing the name of the second petitioner. Responding, Tolu Babaleye, the counsel to the second respondent, INEC, and Stella Odike, the counsel to the first counsel, opposed the application for the amendment, saying that it was too late to do so.
Ruling on the case, Rose Soji, the tribunal’s chairman, promised that all applications would be accommodated and decided upon according to the law. Ms Soji, therefore, adjourned the case to May 17 for consideration of all applications and for further hearing.
Meanwhile, the tribunal held the pre-hearing of the petition of Kolawole Olugbenga, the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the Akoko South East/Akoko South-West Federal Constituency against Olugbenga Adefarati, a candidate of APC and House of Representatives member-elect in the constituency. Mr Olugbenga had approached and told the tribunal that the APC and its candidate should not have even taken part in the February 25 House of Representative election, according to a federal court’s judgement that asked them not to participate.
Mr Olugbenga, through his counsel, Tolu Babaleye, asked the court to cancel the victory accorded by Mr Adefarati and declare PDP and its candidate the winner of the election in the constituency. The counsel to Mr Adefarati, Yinka Orokoto, the APC’s counsel, A.O Ajana, and the INEC’s counsel, Titilayo Osagie, asked the tribunal to dismiss and strike out the petition.
The tribunal, similarly, had a pre-hearing on a petition by Tunji Balogun of LP in Ilaje/Ese Odo Federal Constituency, alleging that the LP logo was missing on the ballot papers during the election in the constituency. Mr Balogun joined INEC and APC’s candidate, Donald Ojogo, as respondents.
Mr Balogun’s counsel called for the cancellation of the election and the conduct of a fresh election in the constituency for fairness to all the candidates. The tribunal adjourned the sitting to May 18 for further pre-hearing.