Witnesses of the People Democratic Party (PDP) and its candidate, Senator Dino Melaye, in the Kogi state National Assembly Election Petition Tribunal, Wednesday, failed to substantiate allegation of disruption of the Kogi west senatorial election in Kogi state.
The PDP candidate had in his petition before the tribunal alleged irregularities in the November 30, 2019 senatorial election in the state.
Some of the witnesses called before the tribunal also in their statement before the tribunal alleged irregularities.
But when they were called upon by the tribunal to testify, they contradicted their claim that the election was marred with irregularities.
One of the witnesses, Ayodele Olayinka, an artisan, in his evidence before the court admitted that there was no disruption of the election process.
He said no one tapered with the ballot paper of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), during the election.
He said: ” There was no disruption of the electoral processing my polling unit. Nobody tampered with the ballot papers during the election. The result of the election was announced to the hearing of everyone without objection from any of the agents. The election was violent free.”
Another witness, Honourable Abiodun Aremu told the tribunal that he
He alleged that there was under-voting but failed to prove the allegation before the tribunal.
He told the tribunal that there was no complaint from voter at the polling unit where he voted.
At the earlier sitting of the tribunal headed by Justice Isa Sambo, one of the witnesses, Salihu Muhammed denied ever making statements that he signed the result sheet of his collation centre at gun point.
Muhammed who was being crossed examined by counsel to Senator Smart Adeyemi, 2nd Respondent in the petition, Barrister Dapo Otitoju, said the statement on oath which bears his signature was prepared by his lawyer and not by himself.
The witness also denied that he moved round all the collation centers in his Ward, said he only made a little movement.
Another witness, Useni Muhammad from Odarki Ward who claimed to be a retired civil servant stunned the court when he said he couldn’t read. He also said it was an ‘error’ on his part to have signed the statement on oath when he couldn’t comprehend what the lawyer prepared for him.
