In a twist of events at the ongoing governorship election tribunal in Ogun State, the electoral body, Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has announced that it will not be calling any witnesses.
Recall that the Peoples Democratic Party and its governorship candidate, Ladi Adebutu, had dragged INEC, All Progressives Congress and the governor of Ogun State, Dapo Abiodun, to court, challenging the result of the March 18 election.
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According to the ongoing events at the court, Adebutu has closed his case at the election petition tribunal after calling 94 witnesses.
The petitioner, who is also challenging the alleged refusal of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to comply with the Electoral Act, has also tendered over 200,000 documents before the tribunal to prove his case.
In his petition, Adebutu alleged that elections were disrupted by thugs in over 99 polling units, disenfranchising over 40,000 voters from participating in the March 18 polls.
In the last two weeks he opened his case, the petitioner called voters and party agents from Sagamu, Ikenne, Odogbolu, Remo North, Ogun Waterside, Ijebu-Ode, Abeokuta South, Abeokuta North, Ado-Odo/Ota, and other local governments as witnesses to prove that there were disruptions at different polling units across the state.
Two INEC ad-hoc staff, an official of the West African Examination Council (WAEC), a statistician, and a forensic expert were also subpoenaed to testify before the tribunal.
Adebutu also tendered in evidence-certified true copies of INEC electoral materials, result sheets, voter registers, printouts from the Bimodal Voters Accreditation (BVAS) machines, incident forms, video evidence, forensic reports, etc.
Last week, Adebutu and the PDP closed their cases, while INEC’s counsel, Abiodun Owonikoko, during the pre-hearing session, told the tribunal that the electoral umpire would be calling just one witness.
It is now left for APC and Dapo Abiodun to start their response after their prayers for an adjournment till today, Wednesday, August 2, was granted.
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