Court of Appeal President rejects request to relocate Ekiti hearings — Premium Times Nigeria

In Nigeria’s Ekiti State, Court of Appeal President Monica Dongban-Mensem declined to order the relocation of sittings of the tribunal hearing petitions over the gubernatorial election results. Tribunal Chairman Abubakar Kutigi announced this during a hearing, Premium Times Nigeria reports.

Request to change hearing venue rejected

The three-member tribunal sits at the High Court complex in Ado-Ekiti, the state capital. Proceedings were adjourned from September 16 to September 23 to allow the Court of Appeal President to consider the petitioners’ request to change the hearing venue following reports of a possible attack on a Social Democratic Party lawyer.

According to Kutigi, the tribunal was properly constituted and could continue hearing the election petitions. Social Democratic Party lawyer Ebenezer Akinbuli did not attend the resumed hearing, citing security concerns that arose after his previous court appearances.

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Hearing to continue on September 24

Akinbuli sent a letter to the court requesting that the hearing be adjourned until the issue of relocating subsequent sittings is resolved. Representatives of the All Progressives Congress and the Independent National Electoral Commission said they were unaware of the decision, which was conveyed through the tribunal secretary.

To eliminate the uncertainty, Kutigi adjourned the proceedings until September 24. All Progressives Congress lawyer Kabir Akingbolu told journalists that the demand to move the tribunal from Ado-Ekiti concerns the Social Democratic Party’s complaint, not the Action Alliance party’s petition. He also claimed that the petitioners were seeking to delay the proceedings; this is the position of the party’s representative.

The Social Democratic Party and Action Alliance are challenging Governor Biodun Oyebanji’s victory in the June 20, 2026 election.