Kwara guber: Court takes decision on service to APC candidate

The Chairman of the Governorship Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Ilorin, Justice Bassey Effiong has granted permission to serve Kwara Governor-elect, Alhaji Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) by way of substitution service.

Effiong granted the permission on Thursday at the hearing of a petition filed by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate, Razak Atunwa against Abdulrazaq and INEC over the qualification of the governor-elect.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that when the matter was mentioned, both Abdulrazaq and his lawyer were not in court.

Atunwa’s counsel, Abdulazeez Ibrahim told the Tribunal that he was unable to serve the respondents with copies of the petition and sought the permission of the Tribunal for substituted service.

Justice Effiong, therefore, ordered that the first and second respondents be served by way of substitution of service.

“A copy of the service letter should be pasted at the entrance of the tribunal, another copy should be pasted at the gate of the premises of the first and second respondents,” he ordered.

The tribunal chairman adjourned the case until April 22, for report of service.

Speaking to newsmen after the sitting, Ibrahim said that the petition was challenging the gubernatorial election held on March 9.

“We are challenging the qualification of the Governor-elect and some other issues,” he said.