Contrary to claim by the Action Congress (AC) that some members of the ruling People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in Ido-Osi Local Government area of Ekiti State offered bribe to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Presiding Officer for the local government and AC polling agents during the April 25, 2009 rerun governorship election, a Chieftain of the PDP, Dr. Tunde Ajayi has said that no INEC official was bribed during the election.

Ajayi, a PhD holder in Political Science, who was the Respondent Witness (RW77) at the resumed hearing of the petition filed by the AC governorship candidate, Dr. Kayode Fayemi against the declaration of Governor Segun Oni as winner of the April 25 rerun governorship election told the Tribunal that the allegation was arrant nonsense.

Speaking during cross examination by Chief Anthony Adeniyi, counsel to the petitioner, Ajayi noted that contrary to the allegation by one Sunday Ajiboye (Prosecution Witness 22), he did not collaborate with one Omotoso Adebayo, Tope Oni, Emmanuel Ilori and Sanmi Olubunmo to offer bribes to the presiding officer of Unit 004 in Orin/Ora Ward of Ido-Osi Local Government.

Asked by Adeniyi what a tendered ballot meant, Ajayi explained that; “When there are controversies within a polling unit, to avoid skirmishes or public odium, they would mark such a polling unit a tendered ballot and would be marked for referral to higher authorities. In the case of the 1999 Electoral Laws sir, such marked tendered ballots must be decided at the collating centre where a superior officer would either accept or reject it.”

 Not done with the same question, Adeniyi further asked; “I suggest to you that a tendered ballot is ballot cast by a voter who do not have a voter’s card and was allowed to vote. It could also mean a voter who has a voter’s card but whose name was not on the voter’s register and was allowed to vote.

Ajayi however countered Adeniyi, saying; “A lot of things can lead to tendered ballots. But it must be decided as stipulated by the Electoral Law of 1999 whether to be accepted or rejected.”

Another witness, Prince Samuel Olubunmo also noted that he in company with one Niyi Fajuyigbe, Martins Omotoso did not make any bargain with the AC agents to thumbprint ballot papers.

Olubunmo, (RW79), who also the chairman of Ido-Osi Local Government added that contrary to allegation by the petitioner, he did not collaborated, collude and conspire with anyone to rig or perpetrate electoral malpractices at Polling Unit 004 and other units on the day of the election.

 

During cross examination by Adeniyi, Olubunmo also denied that he was arrested for being in possession of arms and ammunition two days before the election.

 

 

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