Drama unfolded at the Governorship Election Petition Tribunal in Abeokuta, the capital of Ogun State, on Friday when Isau Lawal, a witness from the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), failed to substantiate his claim of being the party’s polling agent during the March 18 governorship election in the state.
Lawal, who stated that he resided in Makun, Sagamu, initially asserted that he served as the PDP’s polling agent for PU002, Ward 12. However, when the All Progressives Congress (APC) counsel pointed out that Yewande Babatunde was the designated PDP polling agent for that particular polling unit, Lawal retracted his statement and acknowledged that Yewande Babatunde was the rightful agent.
The witness backtracked when he could not provide evidence of his presence and work at polling unit 002 during the March 18 governorship election.
Earlier in the proceedings, the panel dismissed an objection raised by the PDP’s counsel regarding the repetition and similarity of statements made by different PDP witnesses regarding the polling units they covered.
The counsel representing the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Remi Olatubora, raised these observations and questioned the similarities and inconsistencies in the statements made by the PDP witnesses. This prompted the petitioner’s counsel, Goddy Uche, to object, but the panel overruled him.
All the respondents’ counsels unanimously endorsed these observations.
