Ekiti LG polls: Court decides PDP's, SIEC's fate Thursday

AN Ado-Ekiti High Court, presided over by Justice John Adeyeye, has reserved ruling till Thursday,February 2, on the preliminary objection raised by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on the composition of the Ekiti State Independent Electoral Commission (EKSIEC).Ekiti PDP, through its counsel, Mr Olalekan Olatawura, had gone to court to challenge the inclusion of five persons it alleged were members of various political parties as members of the board of the electoral commission (EKSIEC).The PDP, through its chairman, Chief Bola Olu-Ojo, had alleged in the suit that the chairman of the commission, Mrs Cecilia Bosede Adelusi; Christopher Oloje, Chief Soji Oloketuyi, Chief Remi Olowoloba and Alhaji Abdulraheem Coker were card-carrying members of some political parties.However, Alhaji Coker had recently resigned his appointment from the commission, saying he resigned from the commission for 'personal reasons.'Justice Adeyeye reserved the date after hearing the submissions of Olatawura and counsel for the defendants, Mr Dayo Akinlaja.At the last hearing on Tuesday, Akinlaja had filed a notice seeking for extension of time to tender some documents before the court, which was subsequently granted and the matter was adjourned to Thursday.At the Thursday's hearing, Akinlaja moved the motion, with Olatawura raising no objection to the application and counter-affidavit filed earlier by Akinlaja, who is also the Ekiti State's Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice.Akinlaja prayed the court to grant his prayers.Olatawura also told the court that he had filed further counter-affidavit and told the court that he wanted to move his originating summons dated September 28, 2011, saying he would want to adopt his written address in support of his originating summons.He asked the court to grant his written address as the position of the claimants (PDP) and the reliefs sought.e court and said his emphasis would be on the exhibits and the addresses attached.He said it was the duty of the claimants to prove that the curriculum vitae of the second to sixth defendants were not genuine.He added that the claimants' counsel ought to rely on the order of the court to get the True Certified Copies of the defendants CVs from the House of Assembly.Replying, Olatawura said Order 32 Rule 9 of the court that the defence counsel referred to only applied to an action in existence.After listening to the two parties, Justice Adeyeye fixed the date for the ruling on the objection raised by the claimants.
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