Date Published: 09/08/09

No crisis in Ifaki and Orin-Ora -AC man tells Tribunal

The Election Petition tribunal sitting in Ado-Ekiti was on Tuesday told that there was no crisis in any of the voting units in Ifaki ward I and II and Orin-Ora ward of Ido/Osi Local Government area of Ekiti State during the rerun governorship election.

The Action Congress (AC) collation Agent for Ido-Osi local government during the election, Mr. Kunle Ogunlade made the disclosure while testifying before the tribunal as a witness.

The AC governorship candidate, Dr. Kayode Fayemi is challenging the victory of Governor Segun Oni of PDP at the tribunal.

 “I did not witness any crisis or disturbances at any of the voting centres at Ifaki ward I and II and Orin-Ora ward because I was at the collation centre at Ido-Ekiti between 6.00am and 5.30pm as the AC collation Agent for the Local government,” Ogunlade stated.

He told the tribunal that he got to know about the burning of Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) office at Ido-Ekiti the following day.

Ogunlade, a 2005 Higher National Diploma (HND) holder, who testified in Yoruba language, said collation of results of the April 25 governorship re-run election at INEC office Ido-Ekiti was brought to an end due to sporadic gunshots and commotion outside the office.

He said all agents of the parties that took part in the election, security operatives and INEC officials were at the INEC office till about 5:30pm before the sporadic shootings by unknown persons outside the INEC office.

Ogunlade, who said he left the collation centre for Ado-Ekiti, the State capital said he did not return to the centre until after more than two hours.

The AC witness while being cross-examined by counsel to the Electoral Officers (EOs) of Ido-Osi and Ijero local councils, Chief Rafiu Lawal-Rabana, told the court that the INEC electoral officers of Ido-Osi ran away on hearing of the incessant gun shots outside the INEC office, which was used as the local government collation centre.

Ogunlade, who claimed to have contested the 2007 State House of Assembly in Ido-Osi 1 and lost to PDP candidate, Mr. Femi Adeleye said the Electoral Officer, Mr. Innocent Akawo had collated three wards when there were incessant gun shootings outside the INEC office.

Before the election results was declared by INEC, AC had protested that only results of election in three out of the 11 wards in Ido/Osi Local Government should be accepted by INEC, but the party is now challenging results of only four wards at the tribunal.

“At about 5.30pm when we had collated three wards, there were sporadic gunshots and commotion outside INEC office, Ido-Ekiti and this led to the running away of the Electoral Officer, Mr. Innocent Akawa who is not an indigene of Ekiti state.

“Although, I did not report to the Police, but all my efforts at locating the E.O proved abortive,” Ogunlade said.