The Oyo State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal has fixed May 20, to rule on an application by Mr Adebayo Adelabu, the All Progressives Congress governorship candidate, to recount ballot papers used in the election.
News Agency of Nigeria reports that Adelabu and his party are challenging the declaration by Independent National Electoral Commission of Seyi Makinde, the Peoples Democratic Party governorship candidate, as the winner of the March 9 election in Oyo state.
The tribunal chaired by Justice Sirajo Muhammed fixed the date after listening to the submissions of the petitioner and the respondents.
“Ruling on the application is fixed for Monday, May 20,” he said.
Earlier, counsel to Adelabu and APC, Mr Titus Asaolu (SAN), had sought for an order of the tribunal to recount the ballot papers used in the governorship election.
Asaolu urged the tribunal to direct that the recounting be done in the presence of the representatives of the petitioner, respondents and the tribunal Secretary.
He urged the tribunal to grant his application.
But counsels to Makinde and the PDP, Mr Eyitayo Jegede (SAN) and Nathaniel Oke (SAN), opposed the application and urged the court to dismiss it, adding that it was not worth being granted.
Counsel to INEC, Mr Akinolu Kehinde, also opposed the application, saying that the business of counting of ballot papers started and stopped at the polling unit and was not that of the tribunal.
