• About
  • Advertise
  • Contact
Thursday, August 21, 2025
  • Login
Vital News
  • Frontpage
  • Business
  • Economy
  • Politics
  • National
  • Opinion
  • Sports
  • More
    • Crime
    • Judiciary
    • Security
No Result
View All Result
  • Frontpage
  • Business
  • Economy
  • Politics
  • National
  • Opinion
  • Sports
  • More
    • Crime
    • Judiciary
    • Security
No Result
View All Result
Vital News
No Result
View All Result
Home Judiciary

Abiodun, APC Win As Tribunal Strikes Out PDP, Adebutu’s Reply On Vote Buying Allegation

Vital News by Vital News
June 19, 2023
in Judiciary, Politics
0
Sex Workers Drag Ondo Man To Court For Paying With Fake Alert
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

 

Abeokuta – The Governorship Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Abeokuta, Ogun State, on Monday struck out the vote buying allegation, levelled against Governor Dapo Abiodun and the All Progressives Congress (APC) by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its governorship candidate, Ladi Adebutu.

Adebutu had dragged Governor Abiodun and the APC to the tribunal challenging their declaration as the winner of the March 18, 2023 governorship election in the state.

But the governor’s lawyers, led by Chief Wole Olanipekun (SAN), in their defence to the petition, made weighty allegations backed up with police report, establishing that Adebutu and the PDP engaged in vote buying during the elections.

On May 22, 2023, Adebutu and the PDP filed a reply to the defence by Governor Abiodun and the APC, also levelling vote buying allegation against the ruling party.

RelatedStories

Explainer : How INEC Declares LP Candidate Serving Jail Term Winner Of Enugu Assembly Rerun Election

PBAT Door-to-Door Movement Extends Condolences To APC National Chairman Over Mother’s Death

Ogun APC Suspends Senator Gbenga Daniel, Kunle Folarin Indefinitely For Anti-party

Lagos Loses Another Female Councillor, Zainab Shotayo, Second In One Week

The Governor’s lawyers, represented by Prof. Taiwo Osipitan (SAN), however, filed an application, asking the Tribunal to strike out the Reply in its entirety or in the alternative, to strike out offending paragraphs from that Reply.

Osipitan, argued that the Reply filed by Adebutu and PDP contravenes paragraph 16(1) (a & b) of the Electoral Act and the rules of court pleadings.

While ruling on the matter, the Chairman of the Tribunal, Justice H.N. Kunaza, agreed with the submissions made by Prof. Osipitan

In the ruling, supported by the other two members; Hon. Justice J.B. Egele and Hon. Justice Sannusi Shehu, the Tribunal overruled Adebutu’s lawyers, led by Chief Goddy Uche (SAN), saying that the application filed by the Governor’s lawyers was not the kind of application that the Constitution requires to be determined at the end of proceedings in judgment.

Relying on relevant provisions of the Constitution, the Tribunal held that only applications that challenge the tribunal’s jurisdiction or the competence of a petition will be deferred till judgment whereas the application filed by Governor Abiodun’s lawyers was not that kind of application.

The Tribunal also held that the Reply by Adebutu and PDP was incompetent for multiple reasons.

The Tribunal identified some paragraphs which contained unnecessary and repetitive allegations, others, which contained arguments and legal conclusions (which are not allowed in replies), and some paragraphs which were an improper expansion of the petition earlier filed.

The Tribunal noted that in their petition, Adebutu and PDP alleged that Governor Abiodun and APC committed corrupt practices during the gubernatorial elections.

The Tribunal further noted that vote buying is a specie of corruption and that if PDP and Adebutu truly believed that APC engaged in vote buying, the petitioner ought to have included those allegations in their petition from the start, which they did not do.

The Tribunal noted that if the Reply filed by Adebutu and PDP was permitted, there was a risk to prejudice, surprise, or even shut out Governor Abiodun and APC on the issues raised in that Reply.

The Tribunal denounced Adebutu and the PDP for coming up with the vote-buying allegation only after APC and Governor Abiodun had done same against them.

With this backdrop, the Tribunal unanimously concluded that Governor Abiodun and APC would be prejudiced if the Reply filed by Adebutu and PDP is allowed.

The Tribunal held that when Governor Abiodun and APC filed their defence, they joined issues with Adebutu and PDP; that by joining issues, the parties fixed the dispute; and that it was improper to go outside those issues in the Reply.

The Tribunal also found that it was unnecessary to file a Reply in the circumstance, as held in several decisions of the Supreme Court and the Appeal Court.

The Reply was accordingly struck out.

With this ruling, only the allegation of vote buying made by Governor Abiodun and APC against Adebutu and the PDP would be entertained by the tribunal.

Jelili Owonikoko (SAN), represented INEC, while the APC team was led by Chief Onyeazu Ikpeazu (SAN).

It would be recalled that Adebutu and PDP leaders in Ogun State have been charged for the offence of vote buying by the Federal Government, a situation that has led to Adebutu being a fugitive to the law. (vitalnewsngr.com)

Tags: AbiodunAPCElectiontribunal
Previous Post

Kogi NUJ Felicitates Governor Bello At 48

Next Post

NDLEA Arrests 31, 675 Drug Offenders, Secures 5,147 Convictions In 29 Months

Vital News

Vital News

RelatedStories

Explainer : How INEC Declares LP Candidate Serving Jail Term Winner Of Enugu Assembly Rerun Election
Politics

Explainer : How INEC Declares LP Candidate Serving Jail Term Winner Of Enugu Assembly Rerun Election

August 20, 2025
PBAT Door-to-Door Movement Extends Condolences To APC National Chairman Over Mother’s Death
News

PBAT Door-to-Door Movement Extends Condolences To APC National Chairman Over Mother’s Death

August 20, 2025
Ogun APC Suspends Senator Gbenga Daniel, Kunle Folarin Indefinitely For Anti-party
News

Ogun APC Suspends Senator Gbenga Daniel, Kunle Folarin Indefinitely For Anti-party

August 19, 2025
Lagos Loses Another Female Councillor, Zainab Shotayo, Second In One Week
News

Lagos Loses Another Female Councillor, Zainab Shotayo, Second In One Week

August 19, 2025
NDLEA Secures Conviction Of Two Drug Kingpins, Emami, Akpomuai, To Spend 10-yrs In Prison
Crime

NDLEA Secures Conviction Of Two Drug Kingpins, Emami, Akpomuai, To Spend 10-yrs In Prison

August 19, 2025
Next Post
NDLEA Arrests 31, 675 Drug Offenders, Secures 5,147 Convictions In 29 Months

NDLEA Arrests 31, 675 Drug Offenders, Secures 5,147 Convictions In 29 Months

Tinubu Appoints Dele Alake, Nuhu Ribadu, 6 Others Special Advisers

Tinubu To Participate In Paris Summit On New Global Financial Pact

Tinubu Congratulates Akpabio, Abbas , Says It is time for Business of Governance

Tinubu Sacks Service Chiefs, I-GP, Customs CG, Appoints Replacements

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Follow Us

Recommended

IPC To Unveil iVerify Project, iVerify Platform Dec. 6

I-CSPJ Demands Immediate Release Of ” Kidnapped ” Journalist, Segun Olatunji

1 year ago
Bandits Kill 8 Persons In Another Attack On Southern Kaduna

Bandits Kill 8 Persons In Another Attack On Southern Kaduna

2 years ago

Kogi No Longer Safe For Criminals Under Yahaya Bello – IGP

3 years ago

Ekiti , Osun governorship elections : INEC opens portal for recruitment of ad hoc staff

3 years ago

Instagram

    Please install/update and activate JNews Instagram plugin.

Categories

  • Agriculture/ Water/ Mineral
  • Aviation
  • Business
  • Crime
  • Culture
  • Economy
  • Education
  • Entertainment
  • Environment
  • Football
  • Foreign
  • Gender
  • Health
  • Judiciary
  • Labour
  • National
  • News
  • Oil & Gas
  • Opinion
  • Opinion
  • Politics
  • Power
  • Religion
  • Security
  • Sports
  • Transport
  • Uncategorized

Topics

Abiodun Abuja APC arrest Atiku Bandits Bello Benue Buhari CBN cement Court Dangote death dies drugs Economy EFCC Election elections FG gunmen Hajj INEC Kano kidnap Kill Kogi Kwara Lagos NDLEA Niger Nigeria Ododo Ogun Oyo PDP Police Power refinery rescue road Security students Tinubu
No Result
View All Result

Highlights

Nigeria’s Consul General In Cameroun, Taofiq Coker Is Dead

Explainer : How INEC Declares LP Candidate Serving Jail Term Winner Of Enugu Assembly Rerun Election

Ladoja To Be Install 44th Olubadan Sept. 26

PBAT Door-to-Door Movement Extends Condolences To APC National Chairman Over Mother’s Death

Ogun APC Suspends Senator Gbenga Daniel, Kunle Folarin Indefinitely For Anti-party

Lagos Loses Another Female Councillor, Zainab Shotayo, Second In One Week

Trending

FG Empowers Colleges Of Education To Offer NCE, Degree Programmes Without University Affiliation
Education

FG Empowers Colleges Of Education To Offer NCE, Degree Programmes Without University Affiliation

by Vital News
August 20, 2025
0

The Federal Government has given Colleges of Education nationwide the go ahead to start offering both National...

Court Berates EFFC Over Disregard For Rule Of Law, Orders Immediate Release Of Aisha Achimugu

EFCC Arrests Deputy Vice Chancellor, Bank MD, Two Catholic Sisters Over N1.2bln Loan Fraud

August 20, 2025
Tinubu Appoints Rotimi Pedro, Founder Of OSMI As New DG Of NTA

Presidency Confirms Appointment Of Rotimi Pedro As New DG Of NTA, Three Executive Directors

August 20, 2025
Nigeria’s Consul General In Cameroun, Taofiq Coker Is Dead

Nigeria’s Consul General In Cameroun, Taofiq Coker Is Dead

August 20, 2025
Explainer : How INEC Declares LP Candidate Serving Jail Term Winner Of Enugu Assembly Rerun Election

Explainer : How INEC Declares LP Candidate Serving Jail Term Winner Of Enugu Assembly Rerun Election

August 20, 2025
ADVERTISEMENT
Vital News

Vital News is an online newspaper with a mission to uphold professional journalism by reporting and publishing only facts and figures-based news reports across Nigeria and beyond.

Recent News

  • FG Empowers Colleges Of Education To Offer NCE, Degree Programmes Without University Affiliation August 20, 2025
  • EFCC Arrests Deputy Vice Chancellor, Bank MD, Two Catholic Sisters Over N1.2bln Loan Fraud August 20, 2025
  • Presidency Confirms Appointment Of Rotimi Pedro As New DG Of NTA, Three Executive Directors August 20, 2025

Categories

  • Agriculture/ Water/ Mineral
  • Aviation
  • Business
  • Crime
  • Culture
  • Economy
  • Education
  • Entertainment
  • Environment
  • Football
  • Foreign
  • Gender
  • Health
  • Judiciary
  • Labour
  • National
  • News
  • Oil & Gas
  • Opinion
  • Opinion
  • Politics
  • Power
  • Religion
  • Security
  • Sports
  • Transport
  • Uncategorized

© 2022 Vital News - . All Rights Reserved.

No Result
View All Result
  • Frontpage
  • Business
  • Economy
  • Politics
  • National
  • Opinion
  • Sports
  • More
    • Crime
    • Judiciary
    • Security

© 2022 Vital News - Vital News by Vital News.

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In