Ladoja fails to stop Ajimobi’s star witness at tribunal

Accord and its Oyo State governorship candidate Senator Rashidi Ladoja yesterday made a failed attempt to stop a key witness of Governor Abiola Ajimobi and the All Progressives Congress (APC) at the  hearing of a petition over the April 11 election.

Ladoja and Accord are challenging Ajimobi’s election before the Justice Aliyu Maiyaki-led tribunal sitting in Ibadan, the state capital.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the APC are co-respondents.

Ajimobi opened his defence yesterday with his counsel, Mr. Olumuyiwa Aduroja (SAN), inviting the immediate past caretaker chairman of Ibadan North West Local Government Area, Mr. Wasiu Olatubosun, who doubled as the APC’s State Collation Agent in the election.

But Chief Bayo Lawal – who stood in for the petitioners’ lead counsel – vehemently opposed it.

He told the tribunal that Olatubosun’s written statement, as presented to him, was neither signed nor dated and therefore, he was not eligible to be admitted into the witness box.

But counsel to the first and second respondents, Olumuyiwa Aduroja (SAN) and Bamidele Aiku (SAN), countered Lawal by stating that their witness was qualified to give evidence.

The issue was later resolved by the tribunal chairman, who after consultation with the tribunal registry, affirmed that Olatubosun had his statement signed and dated.

Consequently, Olatubosun stated during cross-examination by the counsel to the third and fourth respondents that the April 11, 2015 governorship and House of Assembly elections in the state were conducted by INEC to reflect free, fair and credible outcomes.

His statement was supported by three other witnesses – Aderemi Adebayo (Lagelu), Adewale Akande (Saki East) and Mr. Waheed Ajibade – who testified that the APC candidate won.

Adebayo told the tribunal that he was surprised that Accord could challenge the results from his domain, where, he said, its candidate had won with a margin of 501 votes.

He, however, averred that the APC had accepted the results from Lagelu in good faith.

The four witnesses were cross-examined by the petitioners’ counsel, and counsel to first, second, third and fourth respondents, Olumuyiwa Aduroja, (SAN), Babatunde Aiku (SAN) and Yusuf Ali (SAN).

Ajimobi had entered a crucial stage of cross-examination of witnesses by counsel to both the petitioners and the respondents.

Hearing resumed yesterday following completion of the annual national conference of the Nigeria Bar Association (NBA) in Abuja with majority of the counsel to both parties as participants.