Ogun governorship: Akinlade, APM close case at tribunal

The governorship candidate of Allied Peoples Movement (APM) in Ogun state, Adekunle Akinlade and his party on Tuesday closed their case before the Governorship Election Petitions Tribunal sitting in Abeokuta, having exhausted the 14 days allotted to them.

Daily Trust reports that the petitioners through their legal team during the hearing had called 39 witnesses and tendered over 300 exhibits as admitted in evidence by Justice Yusuf Halilu-led panel.

Akinlade and the APM in the petition marked EPT/OG/GOV/01/19 are challenging the victory of Governor Dapo Abiodun in the March 9 governorship election.

The petitioners through their Counsel, Isiaka Olagunju, today called the last witness and closed hearing of the petition.

The 39th witness who is the Administrative Secretary at the Ogun State office of INEC, James Popoola, testified before the tribunal, by adopting Certified True Copies (CTC) of result sheets (FORMS EC8A, EC8B, EC8C), voters’ registers among other electoral materials used in all the 20 local governments for the election, as tendered by Akinlade.

Popoola had appeared in court after the tribunal had threatened to send him to prison for allegedly trying to disobey an order to give evidence before the tribunal.

Last Saturday, the last witness who was subpoenaed by the tribunal failed to show up, forcing the panel to adjourn at the expense of the petitioner.

Upon his appearance on Tuesday, Popoola confirmed that he signed and stamped the electoral materials before they were released to the petitioners as Certified True Copy.

Shortly after the petitioners closed their case, the chairman of the tribunal, Justice Yusuf Halilu asked INEC to immediately open its defence.

But, Teslim Adewuyi, who stood in for INEC’s Lead Counsel, Adeyinka Olumide SAN failed to call any witness, saying the electoral body stands by the results of the March 9 gubernatorial polls, which declared Abiodun as the winner.

The panel, however, adjourned its sitting till tomorrow (Wednesday) to allow the second respondent (Abiodun) open his defence.