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Tag: Inec

  • INEC withdraws Certificate of Return from Edo lawmaker

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has withdrawn the Certificate of Return issued to Sunday Aghedo representing Ovia South West Constituency in the House of Assembly.

    It issued a new Certificate of Return to Mr. Godwin Adenomo in compliance with the Court of Appeal judgment sacking Aghedo.

    The appellate court, last week, sacked Aghedo and declared Adenomo the duly elected member to represent  Ovia South West Constituency.

    It ordered that Adenomo been sworn in immediately.

    After collecting the certificate, Adenomo stormed the House of Assembly with his supporters to submit it to the Speaker Justin Okonoboh.

    He vowed to use legal means to ensure that the sacked lawmaker refunded all funds he collected.

    Adenomo said: “Today I presented  myself before the State House  of Assembly and presented my Certificate of Return. I have done everything within time limit and I expect speeding action towards a speedy swearing in”

    “By law the former House of Assembly member does not have the locus to seat as the member representing the constituency any longer. What entitles him to seat, the certificate of return has been withdrawn. What is important is that as we speak the former member cannot legally seat at the State House of Assembly.

    “I am very happy, though Justice was delay but it was never denied . The judgment says the former member should return every paraphernalia and penny he had collected so far to me. So, when we finish this process, I will approach court for enforcement but as for swearing in, I will depend on my party for that. It is a family matter I don’t have problem with anybody.”

  • 2019 presidential election to hold Feb 16- INEC

    2019 presidential election to hold Feb 16- INEC

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has fixed Feb. 16, 2019 for Presidential and National Assembly elections.

    Similarly, Governorship, State Assembly and Federal Capital Territory Area Councils polls will hold on March 2, 2019.

    Mr Solomon Soyebi, National Commissioner of the commission in charge of publicity, made this known on Thursday in Abuja at a news conference.

    He said that fixing of the dates was part of efforts by INEC to standardise and ensure certainty of timetable for general elections in the country.

    Soyebi gave instances that in the US, general elections always held on the second Tuesday of November in the election year.

    And, in Ghana, according to him, it is Dec. 7 of election year, while in other places like Mexico, Norway, Sweden, Costa Rica and Switzerland, the dates are also known in advance.

    “In Nigeria, the Constitution provides for the elections to hold not earlier than 150 days and not later than 30 days to the end of the incumbent’s tenure.

    “In order to ensure certainty in our dates for elections, and to allow proper planning by the commission, it has fixed date for national elections for the third Saturday in February of the election year.

    “This will be followed by state elections two weeks later. Political parties, security agencies, candidates and all stakeholders are advised to note the dates,’’ Soyebi said.

    He explained that the dates were the nearest to 100 days towards the end of the tenures of the incumbents.

    He added that for states with staggered elections, the dates for their elections would also be determined by the expiration of tenures of the incumbents.

    On the 23 electoral officers indicted over their roles in the Dec. 10, 2016 rerun legislative election in Rivers, Soyebi said that the officials had been charged to court.

    He said that the commission had also decided to apply the provisions of INEC Terms and Conditions of Service to all those charged to court, as the alleged offences constituted gross misconduct.

    “The penalty for this is interdiction. All the 23 electoral officers will be placed on half salary and will not report for duty pending the determination of their respective cases by the court,’’ he said.

    The commissioner added that the commission had also decided to defer its decision on the EFCC report in which some of its staff members were indicted of misconduct during the 2015 general elections.

    He said this was to enable the commission to reconcile the EFCC report with its Disciplinary Committee report on the indicted workers as some of them were already part of those charged to court on the Rivers elections.
    Soyebi confirmed the receipt of applications for the registration of Advanced Peoples Democratic Party (APDP) and other 83 political associations seeking registration as political parties.
    “As at the last count, the commission has received 84 applications from political associations demanding registration.

    “The applications are at various levels of processes of registration,’’ he said. (NAN)

  • INEC probe panel on N23b bribe: REC got N140m cash

    INEC probe panel on N23b bribe: REC got N140m cash

    Chairman, commissioners meet today on 202 officials

    A Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), who completed his tenure on Friday, collected about N140million of the N23.29 billion 2015 election bribe, it was learnt at the weekend.

    A former Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) allegedly coordinated the bribe that has sparked a big scandal.

    There were other startling revelations in the report of the probe committee headed by National Commissioner Baba Shettima Arfo, which will be considered today and tomorrow by INEC Chairman Prof. Mahmood Yakubu and 12 National Commissioners.

    Most of the 202 indicted officials may be dismissed from service for gross misconduct and handed over to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for trial.

    The corrupt officials who have retired with their loot may either be blacklisted by INEC or have their entitlements withheld. Besides, the bribe may be deducted from their benefits.

    INEC had in January raised the seven-member Arfo panel to “investigate the fallout of the 2015 General Elections with regards to staff indicted by EFCC”.

    Other national commissioners in the committee are Prince Solomon Soyebi; Hajiya Amina Zakari; Alhaji  Mohammed Haruna; Mrs. May Agbamuche Mbu(SAN); and Prof. A.T. Simbine.

    A director in INEC, Mr. Musa Adamu, is the secretary to the committee.

    The panel discovered many startling revelations from the 202 officials and others.

    Some of the shocking findings are that:

    • an NGO, West African Network of Electoral Observers, was used to share the bribe to INEC officials
    • a former chairman of INEC coordinated the bribe;
    • many former Resident Electoral Commissioners (RECs) and retired administrative secretaries were used to funnel the bribe to INEC officials in all the 36 states to alter the results of the poll;
    • some RECs and directors benefited from the bribe as confirmed by EFCC’s investigations;
    • a REC, who completed his tenure on Friday, collected between N107million and N140million;
    • some RECs and other INEC officials collected as much as N100m; others were given as low as N150,000 to compromise the electoral system; and
    • some of the indicted officials admitted that they had refunded their share of the bribe cash.

    A source, who spoke in confidence, said the “revelations were stunning and unimaginable” in an electoral agency.

    The source said: “The panel had 10 sittings. It queried staff members waited for their responses and invited each of the 202 for interaction. It insisted on fair hearing and took time to ask questions on record from those indicted.

    “It adopted a painstaking administrative process to learn from the past.

    “The panel invited those who were mentioned in the course of the interaction with the affected officials conducted a water-tight investigation to avoid leaving room for any excuse by the 202 officials.”

    The source gave an insight into how the bribery was perpetrated.

    The source added: “From the interaction with the indicted staff, the N23.29b bribe cash was distributed through West African Network of Electoral Observers. The INEC system was infiltrated through a former chairman of the commission who recruited former RECs and retired Administrative Secretaries.

    “They penetrated the system and made sure the bribe cash was distributed a day after the election when they were sure that the results would have been altered.

    “But because the cash came late to the electoral officers, it did not have effect on the results. Those who shared the money were confident that the results paid for would be announced. But it turned the other way.

    “It also discovered that some RECs and INEC officers refused to collect the bribe even under threats of dismissal after the general elections.”

    Asked of the next step, the source, who pleaded not to be named because he is not permitted to talk to the media, added: “The Chairman of INEC, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, and  his 12 National Commissioners will begin the consideration of the report of the committee as from today  and tomorrow.

    “Most of them have admitted collecting bribe but we are going to apply the service rules in taking disciplinary action. You know in our own case, if there is gross misconduct, you can be dismissed from service.

    “There are other forms of disciplinary measures in the service rules, depending on the weight of the offence. We have already told the EFCC that we are ready. After the disciplinary action, the anti-graft commission can then take appropriate action.”

    On the indicted RECs, the source added: “By the Act which established INEC, we cannot invite them for interrogation because we did not appoint them. They were appointed by the President.

    “We can only make recommendations to the President.”

    Section 3 of INEC Establishment Act says:

    (1)    “ The chairman and members of the Commission shall each hold office for a period of five years and on such terms and conditions as may be specified in their letters of appointment.

    (2)    “ A member may at any time be removed from office by the President for inability to discharge the functions of his office (whether arising from infirmity of mind or body or any other cause) or for any act of misconduct but shall not be removed from office except in accordance with the provisions of this subsection.

    (3)     ”A member may resign his membership by notice in writing addressed to the President and that member shall, on the date of the receipt of the notice by the President, cease to be a member.”

    Some NGOs are likely to be blacklisted from taking part in any election conducted by INEC. Some of the retired officials can also be blacklisted; their names will be sent to the Presidency to prevent them from being appointed as RECs in the future.

    “For some retired INEC officials who have not collected their entitlements, they can be punished through the stoppage of the payment of their benefits or their bribe cash can be refunded from their entitlements,” the source said.

    Some INEC officers already grilled by EFCC are the Resident Electoral Commissioner, Abia State, Sylvester Ezeani, who has refunded N20million credited to him from the poll cash; ex-REC Gesil Khan for collecting  N185, 842,000 out of a N681million bribe; Fidelia Omoile( Electoral Officer in Isoko-South Local Government Area of Delta State)—N112,480,000 ; Uluochi Obi Brown( INEC’s Administrative Secretary in Delta State)—N111,500,000; a former Deputy Director  of INEC in Cross River State, Edem Okon Effanga—N241,127,000 and the Head of Voter Education in INEC in Akwa Ibom, Immaculata Asuquo—N214,127,000.

    Also, a retired INEC official, Sani Isa,  was grilled for alleged N 406,206,000 bribe, allegedly collected on behalf of the deceased Resident Electoral Commissioner  (REC), in Kano State, Alhaji Mukaila Abdullahi.

    Those grilled in Gombe are: Godwin Maiyaki, Gambo Balanga, Bukar Alone Benisheik, Dukku, Jibril. B. Muhammed,Billiri, Dunguma Musa Dogona, Funakaye, Mohammed. A. Wanka, Kaltungo, Ishaku Yusuf, Kwami, Suleiman Isawa, Nafada, Babagana Malami, Shongom, and Nuhu Samuel, Y/Deba.

  • INEC in a fix

    Federal Government’s failure to appoint RECs threaten commission’s performance

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has continued to sink and, unless urgent steps are taken, future elections, including the 2019 General Elections may be imperilled. It took the government 18 months to appoint the National Commissioners as six of the 12 national commissioner seats were kept vacant until December last year.

    Could it be that President Muhammadu Buhari lacks understanding of the importance of the commission to the country’s stability? Definitely he could not have left the seats vacant for so long because there are no fit and proper Nigerians to occupy them.

    It is even more unfortunate that almost two years after his administration was inaugurated, the President has been unable to appoint Resident Electoral Commissioners (RECs). It is one of the constitutional aberrations that the President appoints the 37 RECs who are saddled with the responsibility of overseeing national and state elections. Only he, too, could sack them.

    There are only three RECs in office today – those of Rivers, Akwa Ibom and Gombe. They have four more months in office. It is thus difficult to understand why the President and his team are still keeping the important appointments in abeyance. This is hardly the spirit behind the provision for the offices in the constitution, the Electoral Act and the INEC Act. By failing to fill the vacancies, the President is doing grave injustice to the laws of the land.

    Later this year, the Anambra State governorship election would be due. Already, the state is boiling politically and there is no one to speak out for the electoral commission. It must be pointed out to the Federal Government that, by the provision of paragraph 14 (2) of the Third Schedule of the Constitution, the role of the commission is not limited to Election Day. It has a responsibility to monitor the electioneering campaign, organise enlightenment campaign for the electorate and ensure that candidates conduct themselves in accordance with the law. It is also saddled with the duty of revising the electoral register before elections, with a view to ensuring that no one is unduly disenfranchised.

    In states where there are no RECs, it would be difficult to play the roles as they cannot be performed directly from the centre. In Anambra State where the governorship election is fixed for November 23, party primaries are scheduled to start from July 22 and the electoral commission is mandated to monitor them. It is expected that preliminary activities would have started now.

    In 2018, elections into the office of governor are due in Ekiti and Osun states. As is the case in Anambra, the two states are volatile and would be regarded as pointers to the standing of the parties in the run-up to the 2019 General Elections. Nigerians are aghast at the performance of INEC in the bye-elections and the supplementary elections conducted since the Professor Mahmud Yakubu commission was constituted in 2015. In Kogi, Rivers and Edo as well as legislative elections in others states, especially Rivers, the commission is deemed to have performed poorly. Although the Ondo State election was deemed fairly credible, it could have been better.

    The 2017 and 2018 elections are therefore opportunities to redeem INEC’s image, but this may be difficult unless all the other stakeholders, including the government, security agencies political parties, politicians, the media and non-governmental organisations play their roles well.

    The Nigerian government and the electoral commission should undertake in-depth study of recent elections in the United States of America and Ghana. Despite being hotly contested, all the contesting political parties and candidates knew the rules and no serious eyebrows were raised in respect of the conduct of the polls. It is shameful that Nigeria now has to pay attention to what Ghana has succeeded in achieving. Since 1992, the country has perfected transfer of power from personalities within the same party and across party lines.

    In the recent election, not only did President John Mahama of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) lose to Nana Akuffo-Addo who was the flag bearer of the New Peoples Party (NPP), the result was accepted by all concerned and there were no unresolved cases in court in any of the legislative constituencies at the date of inauguration. It was a similar scene when ex-President Jerry Rawlings had to bow out after the expiration of his term. His party’s candidate lost to the opposition leader John Kuffour. Internationally, Ghana is now regarded as the model of electoral sanctity in West Africa.

    We call on the Federal Government to play its part creditably and demonstrate in words and action that it is committed to improving the template for conducting elections in the country. Other stakeholders are likely to take their cue from the government’s actions. Fighting financial corruption may not yield the desired results unless the political Aegean Stable is sanitised. The Federal Government should do the needful now.

     

  • Alleged N23b Diezani loot: Bank officials, INEC director for trial

    Alleged N23b Diezani loot: Bank officials, INEC director for trial

    THE Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) is set to prosecute a deputy director of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and former Electoral Officer in Rivers, Gogo Anderson Waribo.

    Also to be prosecuted are banks officials, who allegedly connived with the INEC director to swindle the Federal Government of N23 billion allegedly distributed by former Petroleum Minister Mrs. Diezani Allison-Madueke to bribe INEC officials for the 2015 general elections.

    A statement by the commission’s spokesman, Wilson Uwujaren, said Waribo and the bank officials would be arraigned in Lagos for allegedly collecting N166 million from the N23 billion Alison-Madueke’s 2015 general election alleged bribery funds.

    It said Waribo was arrested by operatives of the anti-graft agency, following intelligence report that some INEC officers conspired with some bank workers to defraud the Federal Government of millions of naira.

    “Although he has consistently denied involvement in the fraud, investigation revealed that the INEC deputy director’s name is on the list of beneficiaries of the money.

    “He is alleged to have received the sum of N16 million on March 27, 2015. Waribo allegedly gave N5 million from the N16 million to Peter Popnen, an ex- INEC official,’’ the statement said.

  • Rivers Election: INEC says 25 workers hospitalised

    Rivers Election: INEC says 25 workers hospitalised

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Monday said that more than 25 of its staff members were hospitalised due to Saturday’s supplementary election held in Etche, Rivers State.

    The Resident Electoral Commissioner, Elder Aniedi Ikoiwak, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Port Harcourt that the victims were attacked and wounded by Rivers people.

    According to him, one of the victims regained consciousness on Sunday.

    ”This is one area that Nigerians should ask questions: over 25 INEC staff members are in hospital today because the people of Rivers State decided to either kill or wound them.

    ”They were all beaten up because they went to those villages to conduct an election.

    ”Let the people of Rivers State tell us the offence of any of them.

    ”What did they do? They were bringing materials for the election; they decided to descend on them, beat them up, collect their personal belongings and run away,” he said.

    Ikoiwak noted that the victims were on official duties and needed a peaceful environment to achieve success.

    He called on Nigerians to condemn the alleged attack.

    “It is very sad. None of them was beaten up in his home but where they went to conduct an election.

    ”Why shouldn’t Nigerians discuss that? Why should people sent to conduct an election be beaten up and their belongings taken away from them?” he asked.

    NAN reports that about 700 staff members of the commission were mobilised for the supplementary legislative election in Etche.

    The National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) had withdrawn from assisting INEC in the election due to security issues. (NAN)

  • Peterside accuses INEC of being compromised

    Peterside accuses INEC of being compromised

    The governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers State during the 2015 election, Dr. Dakuku Peterside, has accused the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in the state of being compromised by Governor Nyesom Wike during Saturday’s legislative rerun in Etche and Omuma local government areas.

    He said the Rivers governor manhandled INEC officials and forced them to do his bidding, in an effort to prove that his factionalised Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) was a popular party in the Niger Delta state.

    Peterside yesterday in an interview with reporters in Port Harcourt regreted the way the electoral commission went about announcing results from elections, which INEC earlier declared inconclusive.

    He declared that the electoral commission violated its rules and guidelines, leading to the declaration of PDP’s candidates: Chief Jerome Eke and Mr. Tony Ejiogu as winner of the House of Representatives’ Etche/Omuma federal constituency and Etche constituency 2 in the Rivers House of Assembly seats respectively.

    The APC chieftain said: “The results clearly do not reflect what transpired during the elections of yesterday ( Saturday), even though they added to the discredited results of earlier elections of March 19 and December 10 last year.

    “Wike arrived INEC office at about 12:35 a.m. on Sunday and attempted to force the returning officer to announce results which the official had earlier declared inconclusive, as elections did not take place in majority of the polling booths. The returning officer insisted that announcing results the way they were would amount to discrediting substantial number of voters, who were denied opportunity to vote by thugs and hoodlums.”

    Peterside, who is also the Director-General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), also expressed surprise on how INEC allow itself to be compromised by the Rivers governor,  who he said had a long history of bribing electoral officials.

    He said: “Only recently, INEC officials who served in the state during last December 10 rerun elections were indicted by police for receiving several millions of naira to influence results.

    “Wike was seen with INEC officials computing results of the election. How did the governor get there? Is the governor a returning officer? Is he an INEC official or a security agent?

    “How could Wike be standing with INEC officials, where results were being computed? Under which law is a governor permitted to be present where results were being computed for legislative elections in a local government that is clearly not his? I am sure Rivers people are watching this.”

  • INEC, N111m bribe and the new sheriff in town

    Few weeks ago, Nigerians watched in awe as a police panel constituted to investigate misdemeanours  that characterised  the controversial December 10, 2016 Rivers State’s rerun elections displayed a raw cash of  N111 million.  The huge amount of money, which has the capacity to make mockery of bank vaults, was allegedly recovered as bribe from 23 Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) officials that participated in the poll.

    The 15-man panel, headed by Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP), Mr. Damien Okoro, revealed to Nigerians how top ranking officials if the commission cornered N20 million each out of the total N360 million spoils that was allegedly doled out to them by Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State in order to influence the outcome of the election. The panel, which received the full cooperation of the Prof. Mahmoud Yakubu led INEC, also implicated some few other officials of the electoral umpire in the alleged ‘bribe for votes’ racketeering.

    To many close observers of the country’s polity, the startling revelation of the panel was hardly surprising.  Corruption, especially bribe taking, pervades the nation’s political culture and saps its economy and democracy.  It has been a recurring decimal in government agencies and the problem goes beyond a single commission or agency. In fact, I doubt if there are institutions in this country that are not riddled with corruption from top to bottom — police, courts, parastatals, parliament,  just to mention a few.

    But apart from the recovery of the bribe and the accusations and counter-accusations between the police panel and the Rivers State government over the veracity of the report, there is one major lesson that the report has thrown up to Nigerians, which is  INEC did not trot out any justification for the action of its indicted personnel. In fact, the electoral umpire collaborated closely with the panel to unravel what transpired in the rerun poll.

    This has shown that there are still individuals with high moral compass in Nigeria like the INEC chairman, Prof. Yakubu that can summon enough courage to cooperate with other relevant government agencies in fighting corruption no matter whose ox is gored.

    Before the inauguration of the police panel on the Rivers rerun polls, Prof. Yakubu had left no one in doubt of his unwavering commitment to root-out bad eggs from INEC when he announced the readiness of the commission to prosecute any of its officials that engage in electoral fraud. This was marched with action when he again disclosed that the electoral umpire has successfully prosecuted 61 officials over electoral fraud.

    But it did not stop there. INEC set up a panel to probe reports which revealed that more than 200 officials received around N23billion bribe in 2015 elections. In addition, a panel was also instituted to probe the reported violence that marred the parliamentary election held in Rivers State last December. Recently, the panel submitted a report on its findings which even indicted security operatives.

    “One of the low points of the Rivers re-run elections of December 10, 2016 was the flagrant intervention of security operatives in the process,” the report said. “This was widely identified by staff of the commission and independent observers alike as one of the major factors that led to the failure of the process in some local government areas.”

    It said there were too many security agencies involved in the process outside the framework of the Interagency Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES). According to the report, it was not clear whether many of them were acting as part of their various organisations or as groups and individuals serving political interests.

    The report added, “But the most mind-boggling were cases of hostage taking, hijack of materials and physical attacks on INEC officials perpetrated by security operatives. Of singular note was a certain policeman named Akin Fakorede, who ostensibly is a commander of the special anti-robbery squad (SARS) in Rivers State.”

    With these actions, Prof. Yakubu has not only set a commendable example by confronting  the bad eggs in INEC, his incurable penchant to ensure that there is zero tolerance for any level of corruption in the commission has further restored the confidence of Nigerians in the electoral umpire ability to always conduct credible elections.

    The cleansing of corrupt elements in INEC  is critical if the country  democracy is to be well-nurtured, hence, it is proper for Nigerians to rally more support to the present management of the commission’s quest to ensure that issue of bribe-taking during election become a thing of the past. It is also fair to give all the necessary accolades to Prof Yakubu for sanitising the nation’s electoral system through the prosecution of individuals who engage in acts of electoral malpractices.

    This is the first time in the recent history of INEC that the electoral umpire is not only embarking on self-cleansing but has further taken a step further to ensure that those that benefited from untold millions of naira from politicians to influence the outcome of elections are not only docked in the conventional courts but are also made to face the public shame of their appalling escapade.

    Nigerians are heartened by the renewed vigour by the present INEC leadership to ensure elections in the country are not polluted by bribe-taking elements. Other staff of the commission must buy into this impressive record of attacking corruption which the INEC chairman is known for.

    Though it is still early to know how deep the anti-corruption measures taken so far by the commission will impact in subsequent elections in the country, it is not debateable that there is a new sheriff in town in the person of Prof. Mahmoud Yakubu. Yes, a new sheriff has come to INEC.

     

    • Audu, a public affairs commentator, wrote in from Kaduna.

  • Rivers rerun: INEC staff abducted, attacked

    Staff of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Abuja, on Saturday narrowly escaped death in Igbo Etche Ward 5, in Etche Local Government Area (LGA) of Rivers State.

    The Information Communication Technology (ICT) personnel deployed to Rivers for the rerun legislative polls in Etche was reportedly attacked while fixing the Smart Card Reader in readiness for the election when a group of thugs stormed the place and began to hit them with sticks and machetes.
    He later managed to escape and ran to safety.

    The victim whose name could not be ascertained as at the time of this report, has since returned to INEC office in Port Harcourt with bandaged ankle and bruises on the face. He however could not confirm the state of his colleague who was not lucky to escape.

    The INEC Supervisor for ward 14 was reportedly abducted on arrival in the ward at 8 am.

    The INEC staff who sent the signal to the Port Harcourt office also said the official vehicle they went with was also seized by the kidnappers.

  • Edo guber poll: More witnesses testify for Obaseki

    Edo guber poll: More witnesses testify for Obaseki

    More witnesses on Friday testified for Edo Governor Godwin Obaseki, before the Justice Ahmed Badamasi-led three-man Edo election tribunal and claimed that the Sept. 28. 2016, governorship election was freely and fairly conducted by INEC.

    The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and its candidate, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu, are challenging the declaration by INEC of Obaseki of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as winner of the election.

    The petitioners listed INEC, Obaseki and the APC as first, second and third respondents, respectively.

    Ize-Iyamu had since closed his case after calling 91 witnesses and tendered several pieces of evidence to prove his case of alleged irregularity in some polling units and polling wards in the 18 local government areas of the state.

    INEC, however, as first respondent, did not call any witness, but only tendered pieces of evidence to prove that the governorship election was freely and fairly conducted and that its declaration of Obaseki was in order.

    Obaseki, as second respondent, opened his defence on Thursday, calling 12 witnesses in defence of his case.

    At the resumed hearing on Friday, led in evidence by Obaseki’s counsel, Mr Adetunji Oyeyepo, SAN, the witnesses, who gave oral evidence after adoption of their written statements, claimed that INEC conducted the said election in line with the electoral act.

    The witnesses, who acted and testified as APC polling unit agents were: Joseph Ikponwmwonosa, Clement Obazee, Monday Efeloni, Bright Enodiana, Paul Aghiyisi and Osaretin Enaruna.

    The witnesses in their oral evidence, who maintained that accreditation and voting took place simultaneously on Sept. 28, 2016, however, contradicted their oral evidence under cross examination.

    Crossed examined by the petitioners’ counsel, Mr Roland Otaru, SAN, Ikponwonosa testified that his name was ticked both to the right and left in the voters’ register because he was duly accredited before he voted in the said election.

    But the witness could not, however, proffer answers to why some names in the same voters’ register were ticked only to the right, meaning that they voted without being accredited.

    Like other witnesses, Enaruna, who earlier testified that his name on the voters’ register was ticked twice to represent accreditation and voting, under cross- examination, could also not provide answers to the petitioner’s counsel’s question.

    Cross-examined by Dr Kayode Olatoke, SAN, INEC’s counsel, Enaruna said that “it will be wrong for anybody to say that voters were not properly accredited before they voted in my polling unit.

    “As APC agent, accreditation and voting were simultaneous and there was no complaint from any quarters,’’ he said.

    But under cross-examination by Otaru, the witness could not answer why names ticked to the right on the voter register were never ticked to the left, to show they were accredited before they voted.

    “Yes, this is my name on item 156 in the voters’ register, exhibit PO273. INEC official ticked it twice to show i was accredited before I voted.’’

    Confronted further with same document, the witness said: “I agree that all tickings are to the right and not to the left.

    “I agree that the ticking to the right was done by an INEC official,’’ the witness responded.

    As at the time of filing this report, when the tribunal rose for a three-hour recess, only six witnesses had testified.