Ogun tribunal admits jail record, police report, others as evidence against Abiodun

July 26, 2023

The Ogun State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal, on Wednesday, admitted an alleged jail booking record and incident report from Florida Metropolitan Police as evidence against Governor Dapo Abiodun.

Chris Uche SAN, counsel for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its governorship candidate in the March 18 election, Ladi Adebutu tendered the documents to the Tribunal.

PDP and Adebutu are challenging the victory of Governor Abiodun on the grounds of perceived non-compliance with the Electoral Act 2022.

The petitioners insisted that Abiodun did not win a majority of the lawful votes cast at the election.

At the resumed hearing of the petition on Wednesday, Uche called one of their star witnesses, Oyejide Sunkanmi, the state youth leader of PDP to give evidence against Abiodun.

Oyejide, in the witness statement he deposed to, had referred to an alleged jail booking record and incident report from Florida Metropolitan police against Abiodun.

It will be recalled that Abiodun had been so accused in the buildup to the election.

The Tribunal also admitted in evidence, picture of thugs on motorcycles allegedly carting away ballot boxes.

Also admitted was a preloaded top-up card allegedly used for vote buying during the election.

Uche also tendered two letters written by the PDP to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) complaining about the breach of the principle of margin lead.

Dr. Remi Olatubora (SAN), counsel for INEC and Professor Taiwo Osipitan (SAN), representing Governor Abiodun reserved their objections to the admissibility of the documents till their final written addresses.

Olatubora described the documents as “cancerous”, saying “these documents for example are not true. They are not pleaded.”

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