The Coalition of Registered Political Parties (CRPP) in Ogun State has rejected the Saturday’s judgement of the State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal which upheld the election victory of Governor Dapo Abiodun.
The three – man tribunal chaired by Hamidu Kunaza had after over 11 hours of digging into the governorship election matters between Hon. Oladipupo Adebutu of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and Governor Dapo Abiodun of the All Progressives Congress(APC), affirmed the victory of Abiodun in the March 18, 2023 governorship election in Ogun State.
The panel affirmed Governor Abiodun’s election as announced by the Independent National Electoral Commission(INEC), submitting that the petitioners had failed to prove their case beyond reasonable doubt.
In a unanimous decision by the panel, the court dismissed Adebutu’s Petition for “lack of merit” and affirmed the second respondent (Dapo Abiodun) as duly elected Governor as declared by INEC.
Justice Kunaza noted that the petitioners made allegations of corrupt practices, non-compliance with the electoral Act, multiple thumb printing of ballot papers, ballot stuffing, and forgery but they were unable to discharge the burden of prove placed on them.
It, therefore, resolved those grounds of petition in favour of the respondents – APC and Dapo Abiodun.
He also described as unreliable, the testimonies of majority of the 94 witnesses – including an expert witness, witnesses who introduced themselves as PDP polling units agents and others that reckoned themselves as registered voters – all of them brought to court at the instance of the petitioners.
The Tribunal described their statements as “industrially manufactured, mechanically produced and adopted” by them and thereby “proven to be similar, too coincidental and unbelievable.”
But reacting to the judgement through a statement by Hon. Oke Oluwarotimi, a representative of the Coalition of Registered Political Parties(CRPP), Ogun State, the body noted that the tribunal’s decision left its members profoundly concerned about the state of justice and fairness in the nation’s legal system.
The statement read, “the Coalition of Registered Political Parties in Ogun State hereby expresses its deep disappointment in Saturday 30th September 2023 judgement, delivered by the Ogun State Election Petition Tribunal, in Abeokuta.
“The tribunal’s decision in the case between Hon. Ladi Adebutu of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and Prince Dapo Abiodun (APC) has left us profoundly concerned about the state of justice and fairness in our legal system”.
“We firmly believe that the judgement handed down by the tribunal is yet another miscarriage of justice in Nigeria’s legal history.”
The group noted that rather than focusing on the merit of the case, the tribunal focused on technicalities, saying that “it is disheartening to witness a judgement that seemingly prioritizes linguistic nuances over the substantial evidence presented by the petitioner.
“In a time when facts and evidence should carry the utmost weight, we find ourselves perplexed by the tribunal’s reliance on technicalities involving procedural issues and semantics of the interpretation of words over the substance and core realities of the case.
“The tribunal’s decision to favour the respondent on objections and its insistence on the petition’s use of specific words and phrases raise important questions about the fairness and objectivity of our legal process.
“Furthermore, the tribunal’s assertion that the petitioner should have front-loaded certain information in the petition is puzzling.
“In the interest of a fair and unbiased legal process, it is not unreasonable for petitioners to strategically reveal their evidence during the trial rather than prematurely disclosing their entire case.
“This principle is fundamental to the preservation of due process and justice.
“The tribunal’s refusal to acknowledge the extensive evidence presented, including statistical data, forensic analysis, video recordings, and printed
evidence etc., is deeply troubling.
“Despite compelling evidence of various irregularities such as disenfranchisement, over-voting, snatching and burning of ballot boxes and disruption of voting, the tribunal’s focus on procedural grounds has left us questioning the integrity of the legal process.
“In particular, the tribunal’s handling of disenfranchisement issues raises concerns about the civic rights of those affected in almost 99 polling units”.
“Requiring over 40,000 disenfranchised voters to meet to be present physically as witnesses for their testimony is considered ridiculous and a disheartening stipulation that fails to account for the challenges faced by voters particularly in marginalized communities.
“The tribunal’s fixation on procedural flaws, its interpretation of words, and its dismissal of substantive evidence have led us to believe that the merits of the case were unfairly overshadowed”.
“We, the coalition of registered political parties in Ogun State, stand in full support of Hon. Ladi Adebutu, the PDP Gubernatorial Candidate in the 2023 election, and his decision to appeal the tribunal’s judgement. We believe that the pursuit of justice and the truth should always prevail over these spurious technicalities.
“We hope that the higher courts will thoroughly review the tribunal’s decisions to assure the populace of a commitment to upholding justice and fairness in our legal system.
“The Nigerian people deserve nothing less than a legal process that prioritizes truth, evidence, and the protection of their rights,” CRPP stated.
