Appeal Court Rejects Bid to Relocate Ekiti Governorship Tribunal, Sitting Continues in Ado-Ekiti

By Joseph Sunday

The Ekiti State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal will continue sitting in Ado-Ekiti after the President of the Court of Appeal rejected a request to relocate it.

The application for relocation was filed by counsel to the Social Democratic Party, SDP, Mr. Ebenezer Akinbuli, who cited security concerns following an alleged assault during an earlier appearance.

At the resumed hearing on Wednesday, counsel to the SDP again failed to appear before the tribunal. He instead sent a letter seeking an adjournment pending the determination of his application for relocation.

The tribunal had on September 16 adjourned proceedings to September 23 to allow the President of the Court of Appeal, Justice Monica Dongban-Mensem, to consider the application.

At Wednesday’s sitting, the Chairman of the three-man panel, Justice Abubakar Kutigi, informed the court that the application for transfer had been declined. 

He said the tribunal remains properly constituted to hear petitions arising from the June 20, 2026 governorship election.

Justice Kutigi disclosed that the decision of the Appeal Court President was communicated through the tribunal secretary. 

Counsels to the All Progressives Congress, APC, and the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, Mr. Kabir Akingbolu and Mr. Bunmi Ipinlaiye, said they were not aware of the order.

To clear all doubts, Justice Kutigi adjourned the matter to September 24 for continuation of hearing.

Speaking with journalists after the proceedings, Akingbolu said the petitioners had renewed their demand for the tribunal to be moved from Ado-Ekiti to Abuja or another location. 

He clarified that the relocation request was in respect of the SDP petition and not that of the Action Alliance, AA, though letters seeking adjournment were filed for both petitions.

Akingbolu described the petition challenging the victory of Governor Biodun Oyebanji as unusual, given what he termed the wide margin of victory. According to him, the governor won in all 16 local government areas and in most of the 177 wards in the state.

He further alleged that the petitioners were employing delay tactics through repeated adjournment requests and urged them to face the substantive issues before the tribunal.