Politics
Drama as INEC submits blurry copies of Adeleke’s certificates to the court in Osun guber
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) presented Form CF001, which included Governor Ademola Adeleke’s WAEC-GCE certificate and Secondary School Testimonial, before the Osun Election Petitions Tribunal, which was meeting in Osogbo, on Thursday.
This certificate presentation complied with the directive issued by Justice Tertsea Kume, the Tribunal Chairman, on November 25.
The National Chairman of INEC was instructed by Kume to provide Form CF001, according to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), after the Osogbo office of INEC claimed that the paperwork was held at the organization’s headquarters in Abuja rather than in its possession.
Prof. Paul Ananaba, the lead attorney for INEC, informed the court that the directive had been followed and that Mrs. Joan Arabs, a deputy director, had delivered the papers from Abuja.
The documents were then brought by the Arabs to the court, where they were accepted and confirmed as having been provided in accordance with the order.
After reviewing the two pages of papers, Mr. Lateef Fagbemi, counsel for the petitioners (APC and Gboyega Oyetola), informed the tribunal that the documents provided by INEC (Form CF001) were not readable and could not be utilized to support their argument.
Fagbemi noted that they had paid N305,000 for the papers and that only the signature at the bottom of the first document, a General Certificate of Examination (GCE) from the West African Examination Council (WAEC), was readable.
He said that Adeleke’s second document, a school testimonial, which she had gotten from Ede Muslim Grammar Institution, did not include the school’s address or location.
Fagbemi informed the court that the documents were not clear and readable and could not be utilized or controlled by them.
The petitioners’ legal representative requested that the tribunal take notice of their concerns to the papers that INEC had provided.
The tribunal’s order for the respondent (INEC) to furnish Form CF001 was not completely complied with, according to Kume, who supported the petitioners’ objection and determined that the papers produced were not readable.
The tribunal’s chairman then commanded INEC to deliver versions of the documents that were easier to read and understand.
Then, in order to continue the hearing, the INEC counsel requested from the tribunal permission to take a photo of the documents in their possession in Abuja and send them.
Kume then agreed to the proposal and allowed INEC one hour and 30 minutes to obtain the documents.
Ananaba stated that INEC Abuja had created the snapshot of the copy of the papers, which he printed and delivered before the tribunal when the session resumed after the break.
The copies, according to Kume, weren’t any better than what the INEC Deputy Director delivered, he said.
Following the petitioners’ and respondents’ counsel’s arguments and suggestions, they concurred that the original file containing the Form CF001, now in INEC possession in Abuja, should be produced before the tribunal the following week.
The tribunal’s chairperson expressed regret that the respondent (INEC) could present copies of the petitioner’s sought papers that were indistinct and blurry.
He said that from the start of the Tribunal’s pre-hearing, it was decided that sittings would take place on weekdays, weekends, and even on public holidays.
Kume then requested that INEC provide clean, clear copies of the original file including Form CF001 before adjourning the case to Dec. 3.
He stated that the tribunal would be forced to use its authority if INEC disobeyed the injunction.