Ekiti State’s governor-elect, Dr Kayode Fayemi has concluded arrangements to set up a serious legal fireworks at the Ekiti State Election Petition Tribunal to defend his mandate.
The governor-elect, Wednesday, filed a 2,558-page reply to the petition filed by the defeated candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Prof. Kolapo Olusola.
The incoming governor also brought to the Tribunal Registry 3,500 exhibits including plethora of documents gathered to defend his victory at the poll.
Fayemi, who contested on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC), was declared winner of the July 14 governorship election by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
The governor-elect has also assembled a crack team of lawyers including eight Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SANs) twenty seven other lawyers to be led by Prince Lateef Fagbemi.
Fagbemi, an election petition expert, was renowned for achieving victory in court for former Rivers State Governor Chibuike Amaechi, when the Supreme Court ruled that he be sworn in without participating in the 2007 election.
The apex court held that votes won by Amaechi, who is currently Minister of Transportation, was deemed to have been cast for his then party, PDP, sacking Mr. Celestine Omeiha from office after spending five months in power.
Others SANs in Fayemi’s legal team are former Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Chief Akinlolu Olujinmi; Dr. Kayode Olatoke, Mr. John Baiyeshea, Mr. Abiodun Owonikoko, Mr. Yomi Aliyu, Mr. Adesegun Ajibola and Mr. Hakeem Afolabi.
Fayemi’s major prayer in his defence is that the Tribunal should dismiss the petition filed by Olusola for “lacking merit.”
Olusola had on August 3 filed a 700-page petition urging the Tribunal to declare him winner. He claimed that he scored the highest number of lawful votes.
Speaking with reporters after filing the petition, Olatoke, who spoke on behalf of his colleagues, said Olusola’s petition was a “waste of time as it lacked substance” and was sure that the case would be dismissed by the tribunal.
He explained further that Fayemi won fair and square in 12 out of the 16 local governments areas of the state, while Olusola won in four.
In his response to Olusola’s petition bordering on alleged over voting in some polling units, Olatoke dismissed this claim as frivolous and baseless.
He said Olusola’s first ground in his petition is based on Fayose’s phantom indictment, which had been nullified and set aside by a competent court, Olatoke said.
“The second ground of Olusola’s petition is alleged over voting, which is another false claim. In any case, the petition in itself is self-defeating.
“The third ground is on deliberate voiding of votes as alleged by Olusola but in actual fact, majority of the voided ballots were votes meant for Fayemi, while the fourth ground is on vote buying which is baseless as it was, Olusola’s sponsor, Fayose that was guilty of this.
“Fayemi won convincingly based on his popularity,” Olatoke said.
No date has been fixed for hearing.
Credit: thenationonlineng.net
