UPDATE - Ekiti election tribunal relocates over insecurity

- The Ekiti state governorship election petitions tribunal has announced its relocation to a yet to be disclosed venue after it formally opened its session amid threats of insecurity

- The chairman of the tribunal, Justice Suleiman Belgore, said the issue of insecurity was raised by some lawyers

- The lawyers claimed that they were nearly mobbed by those suspected to be party goons on their way to the venue of the tribunal, the state high court, Ado Ekiti The election petition tribunal sitting over the conduct of the July 14 governorship election in Ekiti state on Monday, September 17, relocated its sitting to an undisclosed location, citing insecurity around the venue of the tribunal, Ekiti state high court, Ado Ekiti.

It was learnt that some indications emerged that the sitting may be relocated to Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory.

This Day reports that the chairman of the tribunal, Justice Suleiman Belgore, said the secretary of the tribunal would announce a new venue within 48 hours.

NAIJ.com gathered that Adebayo Adelodun, a counsel to the petitioner, earlier demanded the relocation of the sitting citing cases of insecurity and threat to lives by the crowd that besieged the court’s gate before the commencement of the sitting.

The demand was supported by the counsels to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Chief Charles Edosomwan, that of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Chief Akin Olujimi, and the lawyer to the party’s candidate, Kayode Fayemi. The lawyers claimed that they were nearly mobbed by those suspected to be party goons on their way to the court, which they said constituted serious security threat to lives and the course of justice.

Continue Reading - via Naij