…. Claims Abiodun Forged WAEC Certificate
The Peoples Democratic Party and its Governorship candidate, Ladi Adebutu has hired a forensic expert, who tendered 150,656 ballot papers used for the conduct of the March 18 governorship election in Ogun state
PLATFORM TIMES reports that at the resumed hearing on Thursday, the State Election Petition Tribunal,admitted in evidence the ballot papers used during the last election in the state.
PLATFORM TIMES further reports that the Tribunal also admitted a video evidence tendered by a star witness of the PDP , Sunkanmi Oyejide.
The documents were admitted in evidence to support of the filed by the PDP and Adebutu against the victory of the state governor, Dapo Abiodun at the poll, claiming non-compliance to the Electoral Act and corrupt practices during the election.
The ballot papers were tendered to the Tribunal by a Forensic examiner, Reginald Nwoze, a retired Deputy Superintendent Police officer.
Respondents’ lawyers all objected to the admissibility of the ballot papers, but reserved the grounds of their objections till final written addresses.
Nwoze while being crossed examined by counsel to respondents said, he examined and analysed the ballot papers from 12 Local government areas of the state.
According to him, the ballot papers tendered were sourced from the Independent National Electoral Commission .
While analysing the ballot papers tendered, Nwoze said, 37,401 were with multiple thumb prints, 3,470 were smushed and smeared, while 109,785 were with regular thumb prints.
Explaining his findings, Nwoze alleged that some of the ballot papers whose vote were cast in favour of APC were marked with markers instead of being thumb printed.
While being led in evidence by petitioners counsel, Chris Uche, SAN, on Wednesday, Oyejide tendered some documents, including the video evidence, which the petitioners vehemently objected to.
Arguments ensued when the said star witness tendered a video evidence of thugs disrupting voting in some polling units in the state and document translating words in the video from Yoruba to English Language.
Remi Olatubora, counsel to INEC; Prof. Taiwo Osipitan, counsel to Abiodun and Onyechi Ikpeazu of the APC in their separate submissions had kicked against the video evidence, asking the tribunal not to admit same.
Olatubora described the video recording as “absolutely inadmissible.”
Osipitan and Ikpeazu in their various submissions also opposed to the admissibility of the clip, which they said amounted to an “hearsay.”
He quoted Oyejide to have said the video was downloaded from Channels TV and Arise TV website, saying such raised the question of authenticity and genuineness of the clip.
Responding, Uche said objection of opposing lawyers was premature, saying the issue on ground has to do with the admissibility of the clip.
“The most important principle in admissibility is relevance and the video recording sought to be tendered is relevant,” he said.
The petitioners’ counsel prayed the court to allow the witness played video as demonstrative evidence in the court.
The Chairman of the Tribunal, Justice Hamidu Kunaza ruled that the video be played and the video was thereafter played in court as permitted by the Tribunal.
Meanwhile, a star witness of the PDP, Sunkanmi Oyejide, on Thursday told the tribunal that Abiodun of the All Progressives Congress forged his West African Examination Council (WAEC) certificate.
Oyejide told the tribunal that Abiodun forged his certificate, saying WAEC had appeared before the tribunal to confirm this claim.
While being cross-examined by counsel to Abiodun, Taiwo Osipitan, whether he still stands by his statement on oath that Abiodun forged his certificate, Oyejide retorted in the affirmative.
“Yes, I stand by my statement on oath that Dapo Abiodun forged his certificate. A WAEC official was here and he told the honourable tribunal that Mr Dapo Abiodun does not have a WAEC certificate. We have earlier written to WAEC as a party, there was no reply. WAEC was also subpoenaed and they said they don’t have his records. They told this honourable tribunal. The evidence is in the court record. I stand by my statement,” Oyejide stated.
Oyejide was given a copy of the WAEC certificate the governor submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), from where he was told to read out the grades.
After reading out the grades in the said certificate, Oyejide insisted that the tendered certificate was forged.
He recalled that the governor’s certificate had been an issue of controversies since 2019 when he first contested to be governor.
Osipitan asked the witness whether he has ever seen the governor speak in English language, Oyejide said yes, but “there are errors, he once said one month is 40 days.”
During further cross-examination, the witness said he monitored happenings across the over 5,000 polling units through the PDP agents on the day of the election.
According to him, the video he played in court was a true account of what transpired at the polling units where votes were disrupted.
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