Ladi Adebutu, the Peoples Democratic Party’s (PDP) candidate for governor in the March 18 election, has called 29 witnesses who testified before the election petition tribunal that political thugs interfered with voting in their polling places.
The PDP and Adebutu contested Governor Dapo Abiodun’s win in petition EPT/OG/GOV/03/2023, alleging violations of the Electoral Act.
At the hearing’s resumption on Tuesday, the petitioners called ten witnesses, including voters, party agents, and party members.
The tribunal had earlier been notified by Adebutu’s attorney, Gordy Uche (SAN), that the petitioners planned to summon more than 100 witnesses to support their case against the respondents.
All of the witnesses who have been called thus far have stated that their polling places had elections cancelled and that their votes had not been tallied as a result of the disruption of the election by alleged thugs.
The witnesses were cross-examined by O. Keshiro, lawyer for the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Taiwo Osipitan (SAN), attorney for Dapo Abiodun, and Afolabi Fashanu (SAN), attorney for the APC.
Political thugs bullied and harassed voters at his polling place, disenfranchising many of them, according to one of the witnesses, Rabiu Adeniyi.
He claimed that the thugs barged into his polling place brandishing firearms and other lethal equipment in an effort to sabotage the election and scare away voters.
It hurts a lot that our votes didn’t matter, Adeniyi stated. My polling place was attacked by APC thugs, who opened fire, and the election was declared invalid. Our votes were not counted at the end of the day because of them (the thugs) interfering with the election.
Another witness, Olusanya Yusuf Olatunji, testified in court that suspected thugs broke into his polling place, chased away voters, and removed ballot boxes.
On Wednesday, as the case progresses, more witnesses are anticipated to be called by the petitioners.
