Tribunal admits ‘police jail record’ as evidence against Gov. Abiodun

By Adejoke Adeleye/Ogun

The Ogun State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal on Wednesday admitted alleged jail booking record and incident report from Florida Metropolitan police as evidence against governor Dapo Abiodun.

The counsel to the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP and its governorship candidate Chris Uche (SAN), tendered the documents.

PDP and its governorship candidate Oladipupo Adebutu are challenging the victory of Abiodun in Ogun March 18 governorship election over claims of non-compliance to the Electoral Act and corrupt practices.

The petitioners insisted that Abiodun did not win majority of the lawful votes cast at the poll.

Uche, during its sitting on Wednesday, had called one of their witnesses, Com Oyejide Sunkanmi, the state youth leader of PDP in the state to give evidence against Abiodun.

Oyejide in his witness statement he deposed to, had referred to an alleged jail booking record and incident report from Florida Metropolitan police against Abiodun.

It would be recalled that, Abiodun, during the buildup to the election was accused of being jailed in 1986 for credit card fraud in Miami Dade Florida, USA.

The Tribunal also admitted in evidence, picture of thugs on motorcycles allegedly carting away ballot boxes.

It also admitted a preloaded top up card allegedly used for vote buying during the election.

Uche also tendered two letters written by the PDP to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) complaining about the breach of the principle of margin lead.

Dr. Remi Olatubora (SAN), counsel to INEC; Prof. Taiwo Osipitan (SAN), representing Abiodun and Dr. Onyechi Ikpeazu (SAN) reserved their objections to the admissibility of the documents till their final written addresses.

Olatubora described the documents as “cancerous”, saying “these documents for example are not true, they are not pleaded.”