Ogun: PDP, Adebutu Tenders 8,000 Documents As Exhibits Against Gov Abiodun

No fewer than 8,000 documents were tendered to the Election Tribunal, sitting at the Magistrate Court, Isabo, Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital, against Governor Dapo Abiodun.

The said documents, which were presented to the tribunal by the Ogun State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its governorship candidate in the March 18 governorship polls, Ladi Adebutu as exhibits, were packed in various Ghana-must-go bags.

Adebutu’s counsel, Goddy Uche (SAN), who presented the documents on his behalf prayed the court to admit them as evidence against the state governor, Dapo Abiodun.

According to him, the documents include INEC forms, BVAS reports, ECAs, voters’ registers and printed IREV results.

Recall that Adebutu had challenged Abiodun’s victory at the March 18 governorship polls in the state and had subsequently dragged Abiodun who contested on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to court.

Naija News gathered that Uche, during the last hearing, said he had served the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Abiodun and the APC, the first, second and third respondents respectively a 98-page schedule of documents, listing all the documents to be tendered before the court.

While counsel for INEC, Peter Olatunbora objected to Uche’s prayers, arguing that the petitioners should have availed the respondents with the documents before presenting them before the court, counsel for Abiodun, Kehinde Ogunwunmiju (SAN) prayed the court not to admit the documents as evidence, arguing that the petitioner did not follow the laid down procedure for presenting documents before the court.

Similarly, counsel for the APC, Kunle Kalejaye (SAN) accused the petitioner of attempting to convince the court into admitting the documents as evidence.

Kalejate said “The application was served on us very late yesterday (Monday) and I’m just seeing it today. The petitioner should give us enough time to allow us to go through the documents, instead of attempting to railroad the court into admitting them as evidence.” 

After listening to their arguments, the Chairman of the Tribunal, Justice Hamidu Kunaza, in his ruling, gave the petitioners two days to allow the respondents to inspect the documents, and subsequently adjourned the case till Thursday, July 6.

Meanwhile, speaking to pressmen shortly after the ruling, Adebutu’s counsel said, “We came with all our documents we came with more than ten bags full of documents and yesterday we also filled a schedule of documents where we listed all the documents we are going to tender. It is about 98 pages, it will contain about 8,000 INEC forms, documents, BVAS reports, ECAs, voters’ registers and even the printout from the IREV.

“But, the respondents said they need time to go and look at them (documents). Well, in the interest of a fair hearing, we agreed that they can go and look at them.

“As we have assured the Tribunal, we are very ready to proceed, in fact, if the Tribunal wanted even by tomorrow we will call our witnesses, but as it is, we will bring our documents tomorrow, and we will witnesses.

“One funny thing is that the order of the Tribunal was even for the Respondents to also bring their own documents and show, but surprisingly, we are here today and they didn’t bring even one document.”