Tribunal dismisses Adelabu, APC’s application to recount ballot papers


Dismissal

By Suleiman Shehu

Ibadan, May 20, 2019 (NAN) The Oyo State Governorship Election
Petition Tribunal has dismissed an application filed by Mr Adebayo
Adelabu, governorship candidate of APC to recount all the ballot
papers used in March 9 governorship election in Oyo State.


The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Adelabu and his party
are challenging the declaration of Seyi Makinde, governorship
candidate of PDP, by INEC has the winner of the March 9 governorship
election in Oyo State


Adelabu through his counsel, Mr Titus Asaolu (SAN) had filed an
application seeking to recount all the ballot papers used in the March
9 election.


Delivering his ruling on Monday, the three-man panel of tribunal
chaired by Justice Sirajo Muhammed dismissed the application, adding
that it would jeopardize the respondents’ right to fear hearing.


Mohammed said that the petitioners were only challenging the result of
few local governments in conduct of March 9 governorship election and
not all the 33 local government in the state.


The judge said that filling an application now to count all the ballot
papers used in the election would amount to amending the petitioners’
pleadings.


He said that the time allowed to amend pleadings of all parties has
elapsed and no pleadings can be amended at this stage.

Mohammed said that the petitioners were also not consistent on the
date the election was conducted as they were quoting different date in
their application.


The judge then dismissed the application and fixed June 10 for
commencement of hearing, adding that pre-hearing has ended. (NAN)

This is fake news, this was not the judgement

Public servants in Ekiti state are to henceforth receive their monthly salary without fail.

The News Agency of Nigeria, (NAN) reports that the Chief Press Secretary, (CPS) to the state Governor, Mr Olayinka Oyebode on Tuesday made the declaration at a media forum in Ado Ekiti.

According to him, the era in which civil servants are owed backlog of salaries had gone with the last administration headed by former Governor Ayo Fayose.

He said the new administration in the state does not believe workers must suffer to collect the wages they laboured for.

He said the Kayode Fayemi-led administration had started demonstrating this position with the prompt payment of October salaries to workers, saying the trend would continue every month till the end of the tenure of the present administration.

On the backlog of about five and seven month salary arrears of salary owed different category of workers by the last administration, Oyebode disclosed that efforts were already on to clear them, but with a caveat that they would be settled installmentally and in batches.

He blamed Fayose for embarking on meaningless white-elephant projects that had no direct relevance on the welfare of the people, especially workers, while abandoning prompt payment of salaries.

" Henceforth, there is not going to be a month civil servants in Ekiti state will not get their monthly pay

" As for those salaries the last administration owed, we are already studying files to know what is owed exactly so that government can commence process of paying, but let me make it clear that we will pay in installments, so when it comes, it will be like bonus", he said.

He also clarified the status of the free education recently declared by Fayemi in public primary and secondary schools, saying the policy affects all form of payments, contrary to impression of some parents and school heads that it only affects education levy.

Consequently, he warned school principals and headmasters against collecting money from pupils under any guise, as doing so would amount to saboteur and illegality.

NAN reports that the CPS disclosed that already, a circular had been issued by government and sent to all schools warning all school heads against collecting fees from pupils, as anyone caught will face the consequences.

He charged parents, the media and other concerned members of the public to promptly report anyone caught collecting fees or sending children back home for non-payment of illegal money to the ministry of education for action.

On the projects left uncompleted by the last administration, Oyebode said it was not in the programme of the present administration to abandon projects of another administration, as allegedly done by former Governor Ayo Fayose on projects of past governments .