Ogun tribunal: Adebutu closes case with 94 witnesses, over 200,000 exhibits

The governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ogun State, Ladi Adebutu, has closed his case at the election petition tribunal after calling 94 witnesses.

The petitioner, who is 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 in different polling units across the State.

The petitioner also summoned, with a subpoena, two INEC ad-hoc staff, an official of the West African Examination Council (WAEC), a statistician and a forensic expert to testify before the tribunal.

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Adebutu also tendered in evidence, certified true copies of INEC electoral materials, result sheets, voters registers, printouts from the Bimodal Voters Accreditation (BVAS) machines, incident forms, video evidence, forensic reports, etc.

He and the PDP said they have closed their cases, waiting for the petitioners – INEC, Abiodun and the APC to open their defence.

Addressing newsmen after the sitting, counsel to the petitioners, Chris Uche, disclosed that, “We have called 94 witnesses on behalf of the petitioners and we have tendered over 200,000 INEC documents before the court as well as our own documents.”

Uche explained that, having done all these, “we formerly ended the calling of witnesses on behalf of the petitioners. It is the turn of the respondents to start their response. They have asked for an adjournment to Wednesday, which has been granted to them.

“When we come on Wednesday, we’ll find out what their defence to all these various allegations in respect of which we’ve brought overwhelming evidence before the court is. And we are going to confront them with all these documents we have tendered if they call their witnesses.”

Meanwhile, INEC is expected to open its defence on Wednesday, being the first respondent in the petition.

INEC’s Counsel, Abiodun Owonikoko, during the pre-hearing session, told the tribunal that the electoral umpire would be calling just one witness.