Counsel to the Social Democratic Party (SDP) in the ongoing Ekiti State governorship election petition tribunal, Ebenezer Akinbuyi, and his All Progressives Congress (APC) counterpart, Adetunji Oso on Thursday traded blames over relocation of the tribunal from Ado Ekiti, state capital.
The counsel to the SDP raised fresh concerns over his safety following alleged persistent attacks on him within the premises of the tribunal in Ado-Ekiti.
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The counsel to the APC on the other hand urged SDP counsel to shun giving the court false narratives, insisting that he was never attacked within the court premises by members of the APC.
Speaking with journalists after Thursday’s proceedings, Mr Akinbuyi said he no longer feels safe appearing before the tribunal, alleging that he was attacked by a crowd within the court premises, resulting in an injury to one of his fingers.
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He said the development had prompted the petitioners to write to the President of the Court of Appeal, requesting that the proceedings be transferred from Ekiti State to Abuja, which he described as a safer venue.
Mr Akinbuyi alleged that tension around the tribunal had escalated in recent days, recalling that his principal, Adewole Adebayo, was allegedly molested within the court premises.
He further alleged that agents of APC had barricaded the main entrance to the court premises on another occasion, preventing some witnesses from gaining access to the tribunal.
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According to him, the alleged incident made it difficult for him to locate and bring his witnesses into the courtroom, prompting him to inform the tribunal about the situation.
“I don’t feel safe. I do not feel safe, and we do not feel safe because we have written to the President of the Court of Appeal to transfer this case to Abuja, to a safer place.
“We are still awaiting the response. It is not as if our application has been dismissed. No application has been dismissed. We are still awaiting the outcome or the decision of the Appeal Court .
“When I came here, the second petitioner’s agents barricaded the main gate of the court premises and did not allow witnesses to come in. They were showing them weapons and guns, telling them to return to where they were coming from.
“I was in the courtroom, waiting for my witnesses and calling them, but I could not see them. I informed the court and the tribunal that this was what was happening and showed them the fliers I had received.
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“This finger is broken. I went to the State Hospital and had an X-ray. I was placed on medication”.
Meanwhile, counsel to APC, Mr Adetunji disagreed with Mr Akinbuyi’s claim that the petitioners’ request to move the tribunal from Ekiti State was still awaiting a decision, saying the President of the Court of Appeal had already directed that the petitions should continue in Ado-Ekiti.
“That is not true. The President of the Court of Appeal had directed that the hearing of the petitions in both cases should continue in Ado-Ekiti. That is why we are sitting here. That is why there was a hearing today,” he added
Earlier, during the proceedings, the SDP counsel called six witnesses while they were cross-examined by both Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and APC.
The chairman of the three-man tribunal, Abubakar Kutigi, however adjourned the case to 25 September for continuation of the court hearing.
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