Kashamu’s Appeal Suffers Set Back As Court Dissolves Panel

As a result of the dissolution of the panel headed by Justice Tobi Ebiowel, the appeal filed by Senator Buruji Kashamu at the Court of Appeal sitting in Ibadan, Oyo state, contesting the nullification of his election in the March 28 senatorial poll has suffered setback on Tuesday, November 24.

Kashamu had been declared by the Independent National Electoral Commission as the winner of the election on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party to represent Ogun East senatorial district at the National Assembly.

But the state National Assembly election petition tribunal nullified the election thereby ordering for a rerun in 110 polling units within Ogun East senatorial district.

According to Leadership, Journalists, lawyers and political party supporters who besieged the court as early as 8.30 am were disappointed as the court refused to entertain the Kashamu’s appeal based on bribery allegation levelled against the lower tribunal.

The report disclosed that shortly after counsels to all the parties in the case, journalists and other stakeholders had taken their seats, at about the time the proceedings was to commence, an official of the court walked into the court room to announce the dissolution of the appeal panel.

Further in his announcement in the court, the official said that the directive on the dissolution of the appeal panel was from the president of the Court of Appeal.

He said that the president noted that a new panel had been reconstituted to handle the case, adding that the concerned parties would be duly informed of the new date for the commencement of the hearing of the case.

However, there had been a two-page petition advertised in two national dailies on Monday, November 23, which accused the Appeal Court of possible bias.

It was on that basis that speculation arose that the court president resolved to dissolve the initial panel from hearing the case.

Meanwhile, Kashamu recently came under heavy attack from the All Progressives Congress in Ogun state over a petition against the national and state assemblies elections petitions tribunal in the state.