The Elections Petition Tribunal sitting in Ikeja, has granted the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its candidate in the March 28th and 29th National Assembly Elections in the state, Mr. Segun Adewale (Aeroland) to serve the Senator-elect and All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate in the said election, Solomon Olamilekan Adeola (Yayi), through substituted means.
The order became necessary when the Counsel to the petitioners, Dr Yemi Oke, told the tribunal that Adeola has been evading being served the notice of the petition.
Dr Oke of MJS Partners relying on the Affidavit on Non-service deposed by the Bailiff of the Tribunal, told the Tribunal that all attempts by the bailiff of the Tribunal to effect service on Adeola had been futile.
Based on this, the petitioners’ Counsel urged the Tribunal, through an ex-parte application, to allow the petitioners to serve Adeola through a substituted means of pasting the processes on wall of his house to avoid unnecessary delay in proceedings.
The Tribunal granted all the reliefs sought in the application, and directed the service of all court processes on Adeola either through the APC secretariat; the Law firm of Dr. Muiz Banire, National Legal Adviser of the APC; or last known address of Adeola.
According to the petitioners’ counsel, all efforts to serve the senator-elect failed due to alleged uncooperative attitude of the people in his camp.
The lawyer said the Tribunal bailiff had on number of occasions visited the Senator-elect residence but was always turned back at the gate of his residence when his agents found out that the bailiff’s mission was to serve tribunal processes on their principal.
Through their petition, Adewale and the PDP are challenging the victory of Adeola on grounds of qualification, alleged irregularities and massive rigging that characterized the election.
The tribunal is statutorily required to determine the petitions within 180 days from the day of filing the petition.
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