…PDP abruptly closes case after calling 22 witnesses

…Tribunal reserves Judgment in AA’s Petition, SDP to adopt final address.

By Ayodele Popoola

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The Ondo State Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Akure has adjourned proceedings till May 22 for the adoption of final written addresses after Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa and the All Progressives Congress (APC) closed their defence in the petition filed by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its candidate, Agboola Ajayi.

Justice Benson Ogbu, who heads the three-member tribunal, announced the adjournment following the respondents’ decision not to call any witnesses in defence of Aiyedatiwa’s victory in the November 16, 2024, governorship election.

At the resumption of the hearing on Tuesday, INEC’s lead counsel, Charles Edosan (SAN), informed the tribunal that the electoral body had decided to close its case without calling any witnesses.

Similarly, Aiyedatiwa’s legal team, led by Olusola Oke, SAN, also closed its case, stating that the evidence extracted under cross-examination, alongside documents tendered by the second and third respondents, was sufficient.

“We are satisfied with the evidence before the court and will not be calling any witnesses. That marks the close of the fourth respondent’s case,” Oke said

In the same vein, APC’s lead counsel, Bode Olanipekun (SAN), announced the closure of the party’s case, arguing that the evidence already presented in court was enough to validate its victory.

Olaide Owolabi Adelami’s counsel, H. Afolabi (SAN), while closing his case, tendered judgments from the Federal High Court and Court of Appeal involving Agboola Ajayi and others against Adelami and others, which were admitted as exhibits.

Earlier, the PDP and its governorship candidate, Ajayi, closed their case after calling 22 witnesses instead of the 43 initially scheduled.

Lead counsel to the petitioners, Bankole Akomolafe (SAN), announced the closure after presenting their last witness, a statistician.

Most of the PDP’s witnesses, who served as election agents, claimed under cross-examination that there were cases of over-voting.

However, during cross-examination, Olanipekun (SAN) said that the alleged overvoting claim could not be proven.

Olanipekun challenged the last witness, Samuel Oduntan’s (a statistician)testimony, noting that his report did not specifically identify any electoral malpractice.

Similarly, Olusola Oke (SAN) argued that the witness had not subjected the electoral materials he analysed to forensic examination, raising doubts about the credibility of his claims.

Meanwhile, the tribunal has reserved judgment in the petition filed by the Action Alliance (AA) and its governorship candidate.

The AA, alongside the Social Democratic Party (SDP) and the PDP, had approached the tribunal to challenge Aiyedatiwa’s victory.

At the resumed hearing, counsel to the first petitioner (AA), Adewole Adebayo, adopted his final written address, accusing INEC of corrupt practices and non-compliance with the 1999 Constitution.

Adebayo argued that INEC unlawfully removed the AA’s rightful candidate from the ballot, affecting the party’s chances in the election. He urged the tribunal to nullify the election and uphold the constitution.

Responding, INEC’s counsel, Charles Edosan (SAN), prayed the tribunal to dismiss the petition in its entirety, describing it as lacking merit.

Justice Ogbu stated that a date for judgment would be communicated to all parties through the tribunal’s secretary.