Drama as Ogun LP guber candidate disowns counsel at Tribunal

There was mild drama on Monday as the Ogun State Governorship Candidate of the Labour Party, Mrs Modupe Sanyaolu and the party chairman, Abayomi Arabambi disowned a legal practitioner who announced his appearance for them at the inaugural sitting of Governorship Election Petition Tribunal.

Two petitions were filed before for the tribunal by two factions of LP – Arabambi -led faction and Sunday Oginni’s faction – but the petitions paraded Sanyaolu as the candidate.

The factions in separate petitions marked EPT/OG/GOV/02/2019 and EPT/OG/GOV/03/2019 want the March 9 governorship election held in the state nullified over the alleged exclusion of its name and logo from the ballot papers.

However, trouble began when Counsel  to Oginni-led LP faction, Kehinde Ayanwale informed Justice Chinwe Onyeabor-led panel of his preparedness to move a motion exparte regarding the first petition marked EPT/OG/GOV/02/2019.

Sanyaolu and Arabambi who addressed the tribunal separately, disowned Ayanwale, saying they never briefed him to file petition on their behalf.

“I don’t know him, I never briefed him. I briefed Sofola SAN who is my lawyer. My Lord, please help me, I don’t understand this,” Sanyaolu said.

Their Counsel, Hassan Balogun had told the tribunal not to allow the motion/petition, which according to him, was filed without the knowledge of the petitioners.

“My Lord, If the petition is allowed, justice will not prevail because the petitioners will be shut out “, he said.

The party’s Legal Adviser, Monday Mawah equally told the tribunal that there was “no suit in court suggesting faction within the party.”

The Tribunal however, said it would not give either of the party any date as it adjourned indefinitely 

The Tribunal, however, stopped the application over non-fulfilment of conditions required to file a petition before the tribunal.