OSUN ELECTION TRIBUNAL: PDP kicks over alleged closeness of A’Court president with APC

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has said it was not comfortable with the alleged closeness of the President of the Court of Appeal, Justice Zainab Bulkachuwa, to the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Bulkachuwa is one of the respondents in the petition the PDP filed against the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the APC candidate, Alhaji Gboyega Oyetola.

In a statement on Saturday, Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Mr Diran Odeyemi, argued that since the president of the Court of Appeal was the one saddled with the responsibility of constituting election petitions tribunals, there could be possible political interference in the composition of the new Governorship Election Petition Tribunal for Osun State.

“The eldest son of Justice Zainab Bulkachuwa, Abubakar Bulkachuwa, was until recently a governorship aspirant of the APC in Gombe State. Her husband was also known to be a foundation member of the defunct Congress for Progressive Change.

“We are worried that the sudden disbandment of the tribunal earlier set up by the President of the Court of Appeal might be due to the insistence of members of the disbanded panel to do justice in the petition without fear or favour.

“We equally have it on good authority that senior members of the APC and the Osun State Government have boasted in several quarters that the new panel chairman and members are recommended by governors elected on the platform of the party as those who would do the bidding of the APC,” the party statement read.

READ ALSO: 2019: PDP raises the alarm, says Ogun, others want to submit fake candidates’ list to INEC

The Osun PDP had earlier protested the dissolution of the tribunal earlier set up to hear its appeal on the outcome of the September 22 governorship election in the state.

But the APC’s Director of Publicity, Research and Strategy Osun State, Mr Kunle Oyatomi, in a statement on Saturday described as disgusting, the protest staged by the PDP against the dissolution of the tribunal hearing.

He said that the PDP’s allegation and protest were “irresponsible” and “an act of desperation.”

 

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