Improper Service Stalls Adeleke’s Certificate Forgery Appeal

The hearing of an appeal filed by the Peoples Democratic Party’s gubernatorial candidate in the September 2018 election in Osun state, Senator Ademola Adeleke, against his disqualification could not proceed in Court of Appeal, Abuja.

It was gathered that at the sitting on Thursday, that the complete processes were not before the Justice Abubakar Yayaha led-panel to commence hearing on the appeal.

Following this development, Yahaya went ahead to adjourn the matter until May 8 in spite of the court’s indulgence in abridging time to admit some interlocutory applications, adding that the matter could not go on because of a pending Notice of Appeal filed by the PDP on the same matter.

“We are not going to consolidate the appeals, but it is only proper for us to hear all the appeals on similar subject matter on the same day.

“We have seen that most of the processes have been exchanged but the PDP appeal against the judgment challenging the appellant’s qualification to contest the Osun Governorship election must be heard alongside Adeleke’s appeal.

“In the circumstance, hearing on Adeleke’s appeal and the PDP’s appeal marked CA/A/326/2017 is adjourned until May 8.

“The hearing notice should by served on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC)’’, Yahaya said.

Adeleke had approached the appellate court to challenge the decision of Justice Othman Musa of the FCT High Court in Bwari, Abuja, made on April 2, which invalidated his status as PDP governorship candidate.

The suit was instituted by Wahab Raheem and Adam Habeeb, both of the Osun Chapter of All Progressive Congress (APC), accusing the appellant (Adeleke) of not possessing the requisite educational qualification to contest the election.