PDP presents 20 witnesses at Ondo Tribunal

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has presented 20 witnesses out of 45 expected witnesses in its petition against the All Progressives Congress (APC) before the Ondo State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal in Akure.

The witnesses, who served as the PDP’s agents in the Nov. 16 election, admitted under cross examination that there was incidence of over voting during the election.

The PDP and its governorship candidate, Agboola Ajayi, are challenging the election results in which the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declared the APC’s candidate, Mr Lucky Aiyedatiwa, as winner.

During the tribunal’s proceeding on Tuesday, PDP witnesses, who testified on oath, made significant admission on alleged over voting in the election.

Counsel to the PDP, Mr Dikko presented the witnesses’ statements on oath, claiming that there was alleged over voting across the state during the election.

The lead counsel to APC at the tribunal, Mr Tayo Oyetibo (SAN), however, said that there was no proof to substantiate the claim of the petitioner.

Oyetibo, who cross-examined the witnesses, said that the allegation of over voting was “a mere figment of imaginations” that could not be substantiated.

Speaking on the need to present witnesses for their timely cross-examination, the chairman of the tribunal, Justice Benson Ogbu, appealed to all parties be more diligent, considering that the tribunal was time bound.

Ogbu, therefore, adjourned the tribunal’s proceeding until March 12 for further hearing of the PDP’s petition and adoption of the final written addresses by the Action Alliance and Social Democratic Party( SDP).

It was reported that five petitions were filed before the tribunal by opposition parties and their candidates, including the PDP, whose candidate, Ajayi, came second in the Nov. 16, 2024, governorship election in the state.