Adebayo Adenrele
The Ekiti State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal has adjourned further hearing of the petition challenging the outcome of the 2026 governorship election following an application by the petitioners seeking the relocation of the proceedings from the state over an alleged assault on the counsel of Social Democratic Party (SDP).
The Chairman of the three-man tribunal, Justice Abubakar Kutigi, adjourned the matter until Wednesday, September 23, 2026, to allow the President of the Court of Appeal to determine the petitioners’ request for the transfer of the case to another venue considered safe by them.
Addressing journalists shortly after the proceedings in Ado-Ekiti, lawyer to All Progressive Congress (APC) and Governor Biodun Oyebanji, Adetunji Osho, SAN, said the petitioners’ counsel, Ebenezer Akinbuli, appeared before the tribunal on Tuesday and attributed his inability to produce witnesses to a crisis allegedly affecting the proceedings.
He said the petitioners’ counsel consequently sought an adjournment, adding that the respondents had seen Akinbuli and some of his witnesses within the tribunal premises on Tuesday.
Osho said the respondents were, however, surprised when they were served with a letter on Wednesday seeking another adjournment on the grounds that Akinbule had allegedly been assaulted and that some of the witnesses were being prevented from appearing before the tribunal.
He further disclosed that the petitioners had written to the President of the Court of Appeal, requesting that the petition be transferred from Ekiti State to another location which they considered safe.
Osho said the tribunal, in view of the application before the President of the Court of Appeal, adjourned the matter until September 23 for the court’s decision on the proposed transfer.
He said the respondents had no option but to concede to the adjournment, pending the determination of the venue application.
His words, “From the hearing of the petition commenced on the 8th of September 2026, and as is usual, the hearing was to go on day-to-day, and then it was adjourned today for continuation of hearing.
“Yesterday, the petitioner’s counsel, one Ebenezer Akinbule, was in court, and then he admitted to the fact that the crisis that is rocking the area prevented him from bringing his witnesses and applied that the matter be adjourned today.
“We saw him and his witnesses yesterday within the court premises and until he drove off.
“Today, we were surprised to be served with a letter asking for an adjournment on the ground that he was assaulted and that his witnesses were being prevented from coming to the tribunal.
“We were also informed that he had written to the President of the Court of Appeal for a change of the venue, that the petition be transferred from Ekiti to another venue which they consider safe for them.
“The tribunal, in its wisdom, adjourned the hearing of the petition till Wednesday, 23rd of September, for the President of the Court of Appeal to take a decision on the petitioner’s application for transfer of the petition.
“So, we are constrained to concede to the adjournment, and then we will await the President of the Court of Appeal’s decision on the petitioner’s application for transfer of the petition out of Ado-Ekiti”.
