Osun election petition tribunal update today 6th of march 2019:
It was the turn of the third respondent which is APC to call their defence witnesses after the second respondent closed their defence yesterday and the third respondent called two witnesses namely Mr Ayoola Soji from No 18 Oluode compound Isundunrin Ejigbo local government area of the state of Osun from Unit 8 ward 9.
He said he was the APC party agent during the disputed governorship election and he was duly accredited before voting on the day of election.
The petitioner counsel reserved their objection to the document he short to tender and the court admitted it and marked it as an exhibit before the tribunal.
He said he and other party agents signed the form EC8A on the day of election after the election results were announced. PDP scored 165 votes while APC scored 86 votes in the said election.
He said under cross examination that 48 political parties stood for the said election.
APC lead counsel under cross examination asked the witness to sign on papers comprises of many copies to demonstrate before the tribunal whether the signature could appear very clear on the carbon copies under the original copy which he did and the APC lead counsel chief Olanipekun SAN tender this as an exhibit before the tribunal and was admitted by the tribunal but the PDP lead counsel Nathaniel Oke SAN counter him by asking the witness whether the paper he signed was the same as the one signed on the day of election of which the witness answered No.
Another witness called after this and his name is Mr Oladejo Kazeem from 52 Ayegbami area Obada Ifon Osun Orolu local government, he was also admitted he was the APC party agent during the disputed governorship election at Unit 4 ward 8 Idi Iya in Orolu local government area of the state of Osun.
Under cross examination by the APC counsel the witness gave account of how the petitioner senator Ademola Adeleke came to their community before the election and promised to give the people money to vote for him and his party PDP and how he boasted that both Otedola and Dangote promised him with financial assistant to help him win the election, at this junction the whole court was thrown in to laughter when the witness was demonstrating with the slogan “Gbagam” but the PDP lead counsel Nathaniel Oke countered the witness by asking him whether this vote buying and bribery he mentioned was also in his written disposition before the court which he answered No.
After the second witness was discharged from witness box the third respondent requested for the closing of the defence having satisfied with the performances of the two witnesses called for today and the tribunal agreed and asked the parties in the tussle to agree on the date and day of the written addresses which both parties now agreed on march 7th 2019 for the final written addresses.
The tribunal now adjourned the case to 7th of march 2019 for final writing addresses.
