The candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2023 Ogun governorship election, Ladi Adebutu, has tendered about 8,000 documents as exhibits before the tribunal hearing his petition against the victory of Governor Dapo Abiodun.
Adebutu has alleged non-compliance of the poll to the Electoral Act and corrupt practices, among other claims.
Counsel to Mr Adebutu, George Uche (SAN), presented the documents in various “Ghana-must-go” bags before the tribunal in Abeokuta on Tuesday.
Uche said he had served the three respondents – the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Abiodun and the APC) a 98-page schedule of all the documents the petitioner would be tendering before the court.
He said the documents included INEC forms, BVAS reports, ECAs, voters’ registers and printed IREV results.
He also prayed the court to allow him call his witnesses for the commencement of trial.
But counsel to INEC, Peter Olatunbora, objected to Mr Uche’s prayers, arguing that the petitioners should have availed the respondents with the documents before presenting them before the court.
Counsel to Abiodun, Kehinde Ogunwunmiju, asked the court not to admit the documents as evidence, arguing that the petitioner did not follow the laid down procedure for presenting documents before the court.
He prayed the court to give the respondents three days to allow them inspect the documents before admitting same as evidence.
In his own similar submission, counsel to the APC, Kunle Kalejaye (SAN), accused the petitioner of attempting to railroad the court into admitting the documents as evidence.
“The application was served on us very late yesterday (Monday) and I am just seeing it today. The petitioner should give us enough time to allow us go through the documents, instead of attempting to railroad the court into admitting them as evidence,” Kalejaiye said.
Ruling on the submissions, the chairman of the tribunal, Hamidu Kunaza, gave the respondents two days to see the documents while proper hearing begins on Thursday.
Speaking to journalists shortly after the ruling, Adebutu’s counsel said: “We came with all our documents, in fact we came with more than ten bags full of documents and yesterday we also filled a schedule of documents where we listed all the documents we are going to tender. It is about 98 pages, it will contain about 8,000 INEC forms, documents, BVAS reports, ECAs, voters’ registers and even the print out from the IREV.
“But, the respondents said they need time to go and look at them (documents). Well, in the interest of fair hearing, we agreed that they can go and look at them.”