From Lateef Dada, Osogbo
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its candidate in the July 16 governorship election in Osun State, Ademola Adeleke, yesterday filed their reply to the petition of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and Governor Adegboyega Oyetola, before the election petition tribunal.
The secretary of the legal committee of the PDP, Hashim Abioye, who submitted the petition to the Secretary of the tribunal, said the tribunal has been asked to dismiss the petition.
He explained that the reply was filed on the 14th day before the 21-day ultimatum required by law, saying “this is to show that we are ever ready as a boy scout and to tell you that we are not running anywhere.
“We are before the election petition tribunal. PDP is set to file her reply to the petition of the APC and Governor Oyetola as required by the rules. The witnesses must be present physically before the secretary to the tribunal to sign their witness statements on oath. So all these people here are witnesses and they have come to show themselves before the secretary that they are ready to sign their witnesses statement on oath.
“The election petition filed by the APC and Governor Oyetola is time-wasting because it was brought in dead and you will see it at the end of the day.
“We are confident that the tribunal will do justice to this. You know they’ve made so many hypes about service on the governor-elect. We cannot just open the gate of the governor-elect for just anybody to walk in and that is why the law has made provision for substituted service.
“I’ve never seen any election petition where the petitioner has been able to serve the governor elect personally,” Abioye stated.