Appeal court reconstitutes Osun governorship tribunal

Zainab Bulkachuwa, president of the court of appeal, has reconstituted the Osun state governorship election petition tribunal.

Sa’adatu Kachalla, the court’s head of media and publicity, disclosed this on Thursday.

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state had filed a petition against the victory of Isiaka Oyetola, candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the September election.

Oyetaola was declared winner of the exercise but Ademola Adeleke, governorship candidate of the PDP, said the exercise was rigged in favour of his opponent.

Adeleke had filed a petition at the tribunal, seeking to be declared governor.

But the tribunal was later disbanded without the reason being made public. This had sparked off  protest from members of the PDP.

The party accused the court of taking the action without a replacement.

Responding to the allegation, Kachalla said, under the constitution, the president of the court has the power to reorganise the tribunal in the interest of democracy, adding that there was nothing “unusual” in what Bulkachuwa did.

She added that the reorganisation of the tribunal was not as a result of any petition against the panel or any justice sitting on the panel.

She said the reconstituted tribunal will soon commence sitting.