After summoning 94 witnesses, Ladi Adebutu, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate for governor in Ogun State, has concluded his case before the election petition tribunal.
The petitioner, who is contesting the Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC) purported unwillingness to follow the Electoral Act, has also submitted more than 200,000 papers to the tribunal to support his claim.
Adebutu said in his appeal that over 99 polling places had elections disrupted by thugs, preventing over 40,000 voters from casting ballots on March 18.
The petitioner called voters and party representatives from Sagamu, Ikenne, Odogbolu, Remo North, Ogun Waterside, Ijebu-Ode, Abeokuta South, Abeokuta North, Ado-Odo/Ota, and other local governments as witnesses in the two weeks since he filed his case to show that there were disruptions in various polling places throughout the State.
A statistician and a forensic expert were also subpoenaed by the petitioner to appear before the tribunal, along with two INEC ad hoc employees, a representative of the West African Examination Council (WAEC), and two statisticians.
Additionally, Adebutu submitted evidence that included certified true copies of INEC election documents, result sheets, voter registers, printouts from the Bimodal Voters Accreditation (BVAS) devices, incident forms, video footage, forensic analyses, etc.
He and the PDP claimed to have concluded their legal proceedings while they awaited the petitioners, INEC, Abiodun, and the APC, to begin their legal defense.
Chris Uche, the petitioners’ attorney, told reporters after the hearing 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.”
After completing all of these steps, Uche stated, “we previously ended the calling of witnesses on behalf of the petitioners. The respondents now have the opportunity to begin their response. They requested a postponement until Wednesday, which was granted to them.
“We’ll learn what their response to the numerous accusations is when we arrive on Wednesday and present the court with overwhelming evidence,” they said. If they call their witnesses, we will confront them with all of the documents we have presented.
Being the first respondent in the petition, INEC is anticipated to begin its defense on Wednesday.
The tribunal was informed by INEC’s attorney, Abiodun Owonikoko, at the pre-hearing session that the election umpire will only summon one witness.