Ekiti Election Petition Tribunal: SDP Counsel, Akinbiyi Alleges Losing A Finger

By Ayodele Oni

Counsel to the Social Democratic Party (SDP) in the ongoing Ekiti State governorship election petition tribunal, Ebenezer Akinbuyi, has alleged that he was attacked at the premises of the election petition tribunal currently sitting in Ado Ekiti during which one of his fingers was nearly removed.

He raised fresh concerns over his safety following the alleged attack on him within the premises of the tribunal in Ado-Ekiti.

Speaking with journalists in Ado-Ekiti after Thursday’s proceedings, Akinbuyi said he no longer felt safe appearing before the tribunal, alleging that he was attacked by a crowd within the court premises, resulting in an injury to one of his fingers.

He said the development has prompted the petitioners to write to the President of the Court of Appeal, requesting that the proceedings be transferred from Ekiti State to Abuja, which he described as a safer venue.

Akinbuyi alleged that tension around the tribunal has escalated in recent days, recalling that his principal, Prince Adewole Adebayo, was allegedly molested within the court premises.

He further alleged that suspected agents of the All Progressives Congress ( APC) had barricaded the main entrance to the court premises on another occasion, preventing some witnesses from gaining access to the tribunal.

According to him, the alleged incident made it difficult for him to locate and bring his witnesses into the courtroom, prompting him to inform the tribunal about the situation.

His words, “I don’t feel safe. I do not feel safe, and we do not feel safe because we have written to the President of the Court of Appeal to transfer this case to Abuja, to a safer place.

“We are still awaiting the response. It is not as if our application has been dismissed. No application has been dismissed. We are still awaiting the outcome or the decision of the Appeal Court.

“When I came here, the second petitioner’s agents barricaded the main gate of the court premises and did not allow witnesses to come in. They were showing them weapons and guns, telling them to return to where they were coming from.

“I was in the courtroom, waiting for my witnesses and calling them, but I could not see them. I informed the court and the tribunal that this was what was happening and showed them the fliers I had received.

“This finger is broken. I went to the State Hospital and had an X-ray. I was placed on medication”.

Meanwhile, counsel to the All Progressives Congress (APC), Adetunji Oso, gave a different account regarding the application to relocate the tribunal.

Oso also urged SDP counsel to shun giving the court false narration, adding that he was neither attacked within the court premises nor by members of the party.

He disagreed with Akinbuyi’s claim that the petitioners’ request to move the tribunal from Ekiti State was still awaiting a decision, saying the President of the Court of Appeal had already directed that the petitions should continue in Ado-Ekiti.

“That is not true. The President of the Court of Appeal has directed that the hearing of the petitions in both cases should continue in Ado-Ekiti. That is why we are sitting here. That is why there was a hearing today”.

Earlier during the proceedings, the SDP counsel called six witnesses while they were cross-examined by both Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and All Progressive Congress (APC).

The chairman of the three-man tribunal, Justice Abubakar Kutigi, however adjourned the case to 25th September, 2026 for continuation of the court hearing.

The SDP had challenged the victory of Governor Biodun Abayomi in the June 20 election.