Ogun Tribunal: INEC storms court with four vehicles loaded of evidences
Efforts by the Ogun State Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, Prince Gboyega Nasir Isiaka to prove his case that the April 11 election was rigged to favour Governor Ibikunle Amosun of the All Progressive Congress (APC) recorded a boost Monday as the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) brought to the Tribunal, some documents used for the election as evidences.
Isiaka had requested the Tribunal, through a writ of subpoena dated 12th of August, applied for by his Counsel, Adetunji Oyeyipo (SAN) and granted by the court.
And to comply with the court order, INEC on Monday stunned tribunal with thousands of documents loaded in four Hilux vans.
The documents were brought to the court by the Deputy Director, Head of Department (HOD) Electoral Operations of INEC, Samuel Ogunjemilua
The subpoena has ordered the subpoenaed to produce, bring and tender the documents used for the governorship election.
The documents were brought into the court by Hilux Vans with registration numbers, (PRESIDENCY) FG 66 – U01, FG 67 – U01, FG 68 – U01 and FG 70 – U01.
The documents included Certified True Copies of Voters Register Record; Result Sheets, Incident Forms and original copies of ballot papers for the nine local governments under contention.
The local governments included Abeokuta North, Abeokuta South, Ado-Odo/Ota, Ewekoro, Ifo, Obafemi Owode, Odeda, Remo North and Sagamu.
A schedule of document obtained by newsmen indicated that 1,626 polling units results and 820 incident forms were brought before the court.
Other documents included 70, 024 sheets of Voter’s Register Record, 1, 913 results sheets including EC8A and EC8B and 6, 132 incident forms.
Earlier, Counsel to Amosun, Prince Lateef Fagbemi (SAN) had argued that the subpoenaed be sworn on an oath like every other witnesses before he could tender the documents before the tribunal.
He said, “If he is to tender, he is duty bound to comply with what he has been brought to court to do, nobody can take the court for granted.”
While both Counsels to APC and INEC, George Oyeniyi and Oluwadare Ogunnaike aligned with Fagbemi, Oyeyipo disagreed siting the decision of the Court of Appeal in Olaniyan vs Oyewole, 2008.
But counsel to the Petitioners, Oyeyipo sited Famakinwa vs University of Ibadan and Akanno vs Nigeria Army, 2008 to knock out Fagbemi’s arguments.
Chairman of the three man panel, Justice Henry Olusiyi ruled in favour of the Petitioners position that the subpoena should be taken for its title and that the witness was not competent to be sworn or affirmed.
He further ruled that the respondents can not force the petitioner to do what he doesn’t want to do since the case “is their case”.
The petitioners, are however, expected to tender the documents at subsequent sittings of the Tribunal while the case was adjouned till Tuesday for continuation of trial.
