The witnesses gave evidence to the effect that the Bye-election was rigged in favour of Mayokun Lawson Alade of the APC
By Julius Alabi, Akure
Four Witnesses have been called by the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Barrister Olumuyiwa Adu today (Monday) at the Justice Obadugu-led Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Akure on the concluded bye-election to the House of Representatives in Akure South/North Federal Constituency.
The four witnesses gave evidence to the effect that the Bye-election was rigged in favour of Mayokun Lawson Alade of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
The witnesses alleged that agents of the All Progressives Congress (APC) with the help of some hoodlums connived with staff of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to falsify figures.
According to the witnesses, wrong scores were fraudulently credited by INEC officials to the All Progressives Congress candidate (APC), Mayokun Lawson Alade while they were forced to sign EC8A forms.
The four witnesses are Ige Emmanuel Babatunde from Ward 1 Unit 002, Itaogbolu, Akure North, Abayomi Lattif, Ward 2 Unit 009, Ogbese, Akure North, Olorundare Akinola Ward 9 Unit 004 Oba Ile, Akure North and Omolafe Omoniyi Ward 9 Unit 009 Oba Ile, Akure North.
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The counsels appearing for the Petitioner (Olumuyiwa Adu) are Kehinde Aladetutire, Olumide Ogidan, A. ILARI, J. Akeredolu while the first respondent Mayokun Lawson Alade’s counsel is Abiola Olawole Olaniyi.
Other counsels are Alabi Bankole for All Progressives Congress (APC), the second respondent while Abdullazeez Sani (SAN) and Femi Kuku representing Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the third respondent.
The INEC EC8A election results in the four units of the witnesses who were PDP Agents were tendered by the Adu’s Counsel, Olumide Ogidan to prove his case and were admitted by the Tribunal as the INEC Counsel, Abdullazeez Sani SAN did not raise objection to the admissibility of the documents saying that the documents were INEC materials.
But Abiola, the Counsel to Mayokun Lawson Alade and Alabi, the counsel to All Progressives Congress raised objection to the admissibility of the documents noting that the reasons for rejection of the documents will be stated in their final written addresses.
The first witness for PDP, Ige Emmanuel told the Tribunal that only 38 voters were accredited and voted when some hoodlums came and disrupted the whole exercise saying that the 137 voted in the result sheets were allocated to the parties involved and he was forced to sign it.
According to him, the results were not true picture of the election as there was no more voting when the hoodlums came to disrupt the election.
The second witness, Abayomi Lattif of Ward 2 Unit 009 said the results were just allocated to the parties as there was no election while Olorundare Akinola Ward 9 unit 004 said only 91 voters were accredited and voted but 188 were recorded in the EC8A results sheet and was forced to sign it.
In his own case, Omolafe Omoniyi of Ward Unit 009 said 37 voters were accredited and voted in Ward 9 Unit 009 when the INEC card reader was malfunctioning due to a Network issue, after waiting for four hours and no solution was preferred by INEC officials, a Chieftain of APC had a secret discussion with the INEC officials which he was not privy to, then 71 votes were allocated to PDP and 80 votes were allocated APC.
Adu had challenged the victory of the Candidate of All Progressives Congress (APC), Mayokun Lawson Alade at the Election Petition Tribunal in Akure.
Adu, candidate of PDP narrowly lost with 1,812 votes to the winner and candidate of All Progressives Congress (APC), Mayokun Lawson Alade in an election believed to be heavily induced by vote-buying and other breaches of the 2010 Electoral Act in the last bye-election.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declared Mayokun Lawson Alade winner (APC) of the poll but Adu rejected the results of the election, saying he will reclaim his “stolen mandate” at the Tribunal.
The Tribunal however adjourned further hearing of the petition till tomorrow 7th June 2022 as more witnesses are expected to appear before it.
