The Ekiti State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal has adjourned further hearing of the petition challenging the outcome of the 2026 governorship election pending a decision on an application to transfer the proceedings to another venue.
The three-member tribunal, chaired by Justice Abubakar Kutigi, adjourned the matter until September 23, 2026, to allow the President of the Court of Appeal to consider the petitioners’ request for the case to be moved from Ekiti State to another venue they consider safe.
The application followed an alleged assault on counsel to the Social Democratic Party (SDP) and claims that some witnesses were being prevented from appearing before the tribunal.
Speaking with journalists after Wednesday’s proceedings, counsel to the All Progressives Congress (APC) and Governor Biodun Oyebanji, Adetunji Osho, SAN, said counsel to the petitioners, Ebenezer Akinbule, appeared before the tribunal on Tuesday but was unable to present witnesses.
Osho said Akinbule attributed the development to a crisis allegedly affecting proceedings and applied for an adjournment.
He said the respondents saw Akinbule and some of his witnesses within the tribunal premises on Tuesday.
According to Osho, the respondents were therefore surprised when they were served with a letter on Wednesday seeking another adjournment on the grounds that Akinbule had allegedly been assaulted and some witnesses were being prevented from appearing before the tribunal.
He said the petitioners had also written to the President of the Court of Appeal, seeking the transfer of the petition from Ekiti State to another location they considered safe.
Osho said the respondents conceded to the adjournment pending the determination of the venue application.
He said, “The hearing of the petition commenced on the 8th of September 2026 and, as is usual, the hearing was to go on day-to-day. It was then adjourned today for continuation of hearing.
“Yesterday, the petitioner’s counsel, one Ebenezer Akinbule, was in court, and he admitted that the crisis that is rocking the area prevented him from bringing his witnesses and applied that the matter be adjourned today.
“We saw him and his witnesses yesterday within the court premises and until he drove off.
“Today, we were surprised to be served with a letter asking for an adjournment on the ground that he was assaulted and that his witnesses were being prevented from coming to the tribunal.
“We were also informed that he had written to the President of the Court of Appeal for a change of venue and that the petition be transferred from Ekiti to another venue which they consider safe for them.
“The tribunal, in its wisdom, adjourned the hearing of the petition till Wednesday, 23rd of September, for the President of the Court of Appeal to take a decision on the petitioner’s application for transfer of the petition.
“So, we are constrained to concede to the adjournment, and then we will await the President of the Court of Appeal’s decision on the petitioner’s application for transfer of the petition out of Ado-Ekiti.”
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