Tribunal Admits Adebutu’s Exhibits

By Babatund Solanke

The Ogun State election petition tribunal on Thursday, 6 July, 2023 admitted the 8,000 documents tendered by the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the State, Ladi Adebutu.

Recall that Adebutu had on Tuesday tendered the documents in court to have them admitted from the bar.

But, the respondents requested that they inspect the documents before being admitted.

The tribunal had given both the petitioners and the respondents Tuesday and Wednesday to scrutinise all undisputed documents and re-present same on Thursday.

At the resumed sitting on Thursday, counsel to the petitioners, Gordy Uche, informed the tribunal that the respondents had inspected the documents as ordered.

Speaking, counsel to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Remi Olatubora, confirmed that the documents were as released by the commission.

In her words, counsel to Abiodun, Titilola Akinlawon, said the documents had been inspected, but the second respondent, Gov Dapo Abiodun, would reserve his objection to the admissibility of the documents till the final addresses.

Likewise, lawyer to the All Progressives Congress (APC), Onyechi Ikpeazu, also said the party’s objections to some of the documents are reserved till the final addresses.

Ruling, the Hamidu Kunaza-led tribunal admitted all the exhibits from the bar.

“All documents are to be admitted from the bar and objections reserved till final addresses,” the tribunal ruled.

Some of the documents admitted include 176-page BVAS reports; one certificate of compliance; an INEC receipt; Form EC8A – declaration of result from INEC; Form EC8D – summary of results from local governments; Form EC8Cs for the 20 LGAs; Form EC8Bs for Abeokuta North, Abeokuta South, Ado-Odo/Ota, Egbado North, Egbado South, Ewekoro, Ifo, Ijebu North, Ijebu North, Ijebu-Ode, Ikenne, Remo North, Odogbolu, Sagamu and others.