Ogun Guber Tribunal: PDP’s witness accuses attorney of repetition

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) proceeded to call witnesses when the governorship election petition tribunal met in the state capital of Abeokuta on Monday. Several parallels and contradictions in the witnesses’ testimony have followed the proceedings.

During cross-examination by the counsel for INEC, a witness from Ota named Mrs. Mulikat Yemi acknowledged similarities in her statement with that of another witness, Balogun Olanrewaju, including the same error and omission in paragraph 6 of their statements, and requested that the tribunal question her attorney for the repetition.

Another witness, Thomas Abiodun, a photographer from Iyesi-Ota in Ado Odo Ota Local Government, testified before the panel on behalf of the party. He claimed to have signed the statement he provided on June 16, although it was really signed on April 6.

Additionally, it was determined that his statement’s paragraphs 3 and 4 match those of other witnesses after being seen and compared.

Abiodun also lied under oath when he told the Tribunal that the information in his statement came from his personal knowledge. However, after being cross-examined, he changed this claim and said the information in his statement came from an unnamed Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) official.

In the same vein, the PDP’s witness, Mr. Kushimo Akeem, a cloth seller from Gbagura in Abeokuta North Local Government, submitted a witness statement that was thoroughly examined by the counsel for INEC and found to be identical to earlier witnesses’ statements.