Ekiti governorship poll was devoid of malpractices, says witness

Adunmo Sunday, a witness at the Ekiti state governorship election petition tribunal, on Monday said the July 14 election was free, fair and credible.

During the sitting, Sunday, who was the director-general of the John Kayode Fayemi (JKF) campaign organisation, informed the tribunal that contrary to the allegations of bias, violence, vote-buying and general malpractices levelled by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its candidate, Olusola Kolapo, the election was devoid of “rancour and violence”.

Led in evidence by Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), counsel to Kayode Fayemi, governor of the state, the witness told the tribunal that the officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) were not biased against any of the parties.

Fayemi was candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

The witness, who claimed to be in the situation room established by the campaign organization to monitor the election, said he never got any reports of violence, vote buying or any malpractice and that all agents of political parties that participated in the election signed the result sheet at the various collation centres.

He further said that law and order were “effectively maintained” by police and other security agents during the poll.

“It is not true that INEC favoured John Kayode Fayemi in the election,” the witness said.

“The allegation of vote buying is also not true and in fact, the election is one of the best conducted by INEC. Anyone saying anything contrary to this must be day-dreaming.”

The PDP and its candidate had filed the petition, praying the tribunal to declare them as winners of the election on the grounds that they scored majority of the lawful votes.

Speaking with journalists after the sitting, Fayemi said he was confident that the tribunal will do justice to all issues raised in the petition.