The Ogun State Election Tribunal, sitting in Abeokuta, has dismissed the petition filed by the Labour Party against the election of Prince Dapo Abiodun as Governor, for lack of diligent prosecution.
The Lead Counsel to the Governor, Prof. Taiwo Osipitan, who disclosed this while Fielding questions from newsmen, said the petition of the party, which was based on the exclusion of its candidates in the elections by the lndependent National Electoral Commission (INEC), was dismissed as a result of unlawful nomination of its flag bearers.
Prof. Osipitan, said the dismissal of the case was also based on the provision of the law that allows for judgment to be delivered when petitioners are not in court to defend their case.
“Neither the petitioners nor their Counsels were in court. They predicated their absence on the letter they wrote to the president of the Court of Appeal asking for the case to be transferred. We felt that should not be the reason for them not to be in court at all.”
“We looked at the provision of the law that says that when a case is fixed for hearing and the petitioner is not in court, then we as respondents are entitled to judgment dismissing the case and once it is dismissed, there is no room for it to be re-listed”, he submitted.
The lead Counsel who also said the sum of N500, 000 was awarded to the Governor for the dismissed case, informed that his team was also busy preparing for the case against the Allied People’s Movement with the hope that the judgment would be in their favour.
