KOGI WEST:Rerun Election Peaceful Witness …As Other Petitioner’s Witnesses Contradicts

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As hearing continued on Wednesday at the Kogi State National Assembly Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Abuja, one of the witnesses informed the court that the November 30 Kogi West rerun senatorial election was peaceful contrary to the Petitioner’s claims.

The tribunal had on March 30 adjourned due to the lock down in Abuja declared by President Buhari in view of the Covid19 outbreak in the country but has to reconvened as the election matter was time bound.

The witness Olurokon Wesley Kayode, from Etiaran compound Egbe, Trader by occupation, registered voter at unit 003 when being cross examined by counsel to first respondent, Barr. Chris Lasley also affirmed that the result declared in the result sheet tallied with the outcome of the election in his voting unit.

Kayode when asked if their was any violence during the election answered No, stressing that the election was peaceful; against his initial claim in the statement of oath that there was fracas during the rerun election in his ward.

Another witness, Ayodele Olayinka Stephen, a builder in Isedo Compound Oke-Ere in Yagba West LGA also affirmed that there was no desruption in the poling unit where he served as agent. He stressed further that there was no looting of the ballots papers, as the result of the votes in his units was duly announced.

Stephen said he could not remember what the APC scores was in his unit, but said that PDP score 63; despite his statement on oath where he stated that APC scored 148 votes.

However, for Mr. Aremu Abiodun Olusegun, Isanlu- ipetu compound in Yagba West LGA, a Business Man admitted that his problem with the election was under voting.

Olusegun, a registered voter at ward 04 units 05 said out of the five units in his wards where he served as poling agent, votes recorded in units 002 was low compared to the actual votes cast.

The witness said he was at the unit 02 before the voting was concluded and by his own estimation, the result declared was fewer than the real voters.

He however run into trouble water when he said he was only able to move round two of the stated units; contrary to his claim of moving round all the five units before the closing of votes.

Another witness, Daudu Marcus Olusegun, Ijaiye compound, Egbe, Teacher by profession stunned the court when he stated that he was employed by the PDP to examined the result conducted by INEC.

He said his careful examination of the result of his units shows that there was over voting as 473 votes was recorded against the 211 votes that was cast.

But the witness could not substantiate his “examination” as it run contrary to his statement of oath, where he had signed that the total votes caste was 114 with 112 as valid votes.

He also admitted that he was not at the poling unit as he was riging around on election day.

For Witness 5, Maiyaki Sunday, Odo-Eri, Business Man who said he was also employed by the PDP to examined the result agreed that there was no violence during the poll.

He also admitted that there was contradiction between the figures he mentioned in the court and the one he wrote in his statement of oath.

Chairman of the election petition tribunal, Justice Kaigama adjourned sitting to Thursday, April 16 for continuation of hearing.

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