Ekiti guber tribunal adjourns hearing to October 15

By Boye Oyeyemi

The Ekiti State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal has adjourned further hearing in the petition until October 15, 2026, to enable the petitioners present additional witnesses.

The adjournment followed an application by counsel to the Action Alliance and Social Democratic Party, Dr. Chukwudebelu Nnamdi, who told the three-member panel that he needed more time to resolve issues affecting the availability of some witnesses.

Nnamdi said the petitioners had encountered difficulties in presenting their witnesses and appealed to the tribunal for a one-week adjournment to enable them address the challenges and adequately prepare for the next sitting.

Granting the application, the tribunal chairman, Justice Abubakar Kutigi, cautioned against unnecessarily prolonging the proceedings, stressing that election petitions are governed by strict timelines.

Kutigi also urged the Independent National Electoral Commission to be ready to commence its defence immediately after the petitioners conclude the presentation of their witnesses.

Counsel to Governor Biodun Oyebanji, Adetunji Oso, SAN, and counsel to INEC, Tunde Salako, did not oppose the application, noting that the proposed adjournment remained within the six-week period allocated to the petitioners to present their case.

Oso, however, urged the petitioners to use the additional week to organise their case and avoid further delays, stressing that the tribunal’s timeframe must be respected.

Before the adjournment, an SDP witness, Lawrence Ogunbanwo, testified that he voted at Unit 10, Agbado/Oyo Ward, Ikere-Ekiti, during the election without inducement or interference and was duly accredited by INEC officials.