Lagos petition Tribunal: Ex-Dep Gov, Dibal testifies, says APC didn’t flout any electoral regulations
By Jude-Ken Ojinnaka
Former Borno State Deputy Gov. Adamu Shettima Yuguda Dibal, on Tuesday testified before the Lagos State Election Petition Tribunal on the invitation of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Adamu Yuguda Dibal presided over the last governorship primary election of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Lagos State which produced Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu as the APC Governorship Candidate for the 2023 General Elections.
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its Governorship Candidate for the March 18 governorship poll are challenging Sanwo-Olu’s re-election as the state governor.
Mr Bode Olanipekun (SAN), counsel to Sanwo-Olu and his Deputy, Dr Obafemi Hamzat, led , Adamu Dibal in evidence.
Testifying before the Tribunal, the witness told the tribunal headed by Justice Arum Ashom that Lagos State Chairman of the APC, Mr Cornelius Ojelabi, did not flout any electoral regulation when he notified Lagos State Office of INEC in writing about the party’s primary election in Lagos State.
During cross-examination by Mr Clement Onwuenwunor (SAN), counsel to the PDP Governorship Candidate, Mr Abdulazeez Adediran (a.k.a. Jandor), asked the witness whether Ojelabi was the national chairman of the APC as at May 24, 2022, when he wrote the letter.
The witness answered in the negative.
The witness told the court that it was APC’s National Working Committee (NWC) that set up state committees which conducted the primary election in all the 36 states.
While being cross-examined by APC counsel, Mr Babatunde Ogala (SAN), the witness after being shown the said letter which had become an exhibit before the tribunal, said that Ojelabi was only informing the INEC office that the NWC had constituted a five-member committee to conduct the primary election in Lagos State and he was the Chairman.
The witness also said he sent a report on the primary election to the national secretariat of the APC after the exercise.
While replying INEC’s counsel, Mr Adetunji Oyeyipo (SAN), the witness said that representatives from INEC’s headquarters and its Lagos Office were present during the primary election and signed a report on its conduct.
After the cross examination by both APC and PDP counsel, there was no cross-examination by counsel to Labour Party and its Candidate, Mr Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour.
The tribunal headed by Justice Arum Ashom thereafter discharged the witness, and directed the APC to open its defence on Wednesday July 12.
In the petition, Adediran accused the governor of presenting a forged West African School Certificate to Independent National Electoral Commission(INEC)
Adediran also accused Hazmat of not including oath declaration in his INEC Nomination Form EC9.
He added that APC did not comply with the Electoral Act when nominating Sanwo-Olu and Hamzat.
Adediran, who emerged third in the governorship election, closed his case on July 4 after presenting oral and documentary evidence.
