Posted by On Monday, Ladi Adebutu, the PDP’s candidate for governor in Ogun State, brought more witnesses to the election petition tribunal to testify against the APC’s incumbent governor, Dapo Abiodun.
The petitioners had presented 56 witnesses by the end of Monday’s hearing; six of them were present today.
On Monday, 67-year-old pastor Olorunwa Tunwase, clothes vendor Kushimo Olamide, businessman Asimolowo Abike, Balogun Muhammed, Mulikat Akorede, and photographer Thomas Abiodun were the six witnesses who were subjected to cross-examination.
Petitioners hailed from three different areas of the state: Ogun Waterside, Ado-Odo/Ota, and Abeokuta North.
In a petition dated EPT/OG/GOV/03/2023, DAILY POST recalls that Adebutu and PDP contested Abiodun’s victory due to alleged irregularities in the conduct of the governorship election in Ogun State on March 18.
Under cross-examination, the witnesses informed the tribunal that thugs had broken into their polling places and prevented voting and the tabulation of results on election day.
On the resumption of the hearing, petitioners’ attorney Gordy Uche informed the tribunal that he planned to present the testimony of 65 additional witnesses, including voters, party agents, and members of the opposing party.
Remi Olatubora (SAN), representing INEC, Prof. Taiwo Osipitan (SAN), representing Abiodun, and Afolabi Fashanu (SAN), representing APC, all cross-examined the witnesses during the proceedings.
The clergyman, Tunwase, testified that elections at his voting units were canceled owing to violence and that he would not allow the counsels for the respondents to alter his statements.
Let me tell you what happened in my voting precincts without any outside commentary. “Violence prevented elections from taking place in my polling units,” he claimed.
On Tuesday, the tribunal will hear testimony from additional witnesses, as reported by the petitioners’ attorney.
A new date for the Hamidu Kunaza-led tribunal’s proceedings is July 18.