The Election Petitions Tribunal hearing matters arising from the Osun State governorship election held on August 9, 2014 is set to deliver its final judgment today (Friday).

The governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Senator Iyiola Omisore, who came second during the election with 292,747 votes, had dragged Governor Rauf Aregbesola of the All Progressives Congress who won the poll with 394,284 votes to the tribunal.

The judgment is expected with some measure of anxiety just as the police have embarked on a show of strength in Osogbo.

Our correspondent sighted about 10 police vans loaded with armed anti-riot policemen patrolling the streets of Osogbo on Thursday in readiness for the verdict.

The Department of State Service has also warned residents of the state against engaging in any act of violence before and after the verdict.

The Director of the DSS in Osun State, Mr. Andrew Iorkya, gave the warning in a telephone interview with our correspondent.

He said that operatives of the agency had identified some hotbed of violence which would be properly manned to ensure that there would not be no breakdown of law and order.

He said, “We are prepared for tomorrow’s judgement. We have identified some places and we are going to man such places; the NSCDC operatives, policemen and the soldiers will be on standby.

“We have heard some disturbing news from Ife but we want to warn troublemakers to leave the state. We won’t allow anybody to disturb the peace of the state.”

The Justice Elizabeth Ikpejime-led tribunal had not been accused of bias from any of the parties involved in the case and one of the counsel for the petitioner, Mr. Nathaniel Oke (SAN), while closing the petitioner’s case, hailed the wisdom of the members of the panel who he said had remained ‘clean’ before all the parties.

The Director of Publicity, Research and Strategy of the All Peoples Party in Osun State, Mr. Kunle Oyatomi, when contacted by our correspondent on the telephone, said that Aregbesola and the APC were not afraid because the petitioner at the close of the proceedings could not prove his case.

He said, “The two parties before the tribunal have made their case. I can tell you that the winner will remain the winner. The records are before the tribunal; as of the time of closing the case, Omisore could not prove his petition.

“He called 43 discredited witnesses out of 1,000 he first listed. He reduced their number to 500 and eventually the 43 witnesses he called, including the expert witnesses, admitted that their reports were full of errors.”

However, the media aide of the Peoples Democratic Party governorship candidate, Mr. Victor Oriola, said that Omisore was confident in the tribunal, adding that that was the reason he approached the tribunal after the poll.

He said, “We are confident that we will be vindicated. Otunba Omisore approached the tribunal after the election because we have a good case. We have proved that the election was rigged.”
http://www.punchng.com/news/police-warn-against-violence-as-osun-tribunal-delivers-judgment/

bloodshed booming soon
not our prayer
peace is our prayer