Oyo north: Peller says he’ll be declared winner by tribunal

Shina Peller, a former house of representatives member, says he will be declared winner of the Oyo north senatorial election if the tribunal examines his petition “critically”.

Peller, candidate of the Accord Party (AP) in Oyo north, spoke with journalists on Thursday after testifying at the national assembly election petitions tribunal in Ibadan, the state capital.

The former lawmaker is challenging the victory of Fatai Buhari of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

He said the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) did not comply with the law during the election, adding that he has evidence to prove that the poll was not free and fair.

“We have incontrovertible evidence to prove that there are several grounds which make the election not to be free and fair,” he said.

“INEC, which is the umpire, has not been able to align by the provision of the law and definitely we have evidence to back our case up which we have put before the court.

“I want to believe that justice presented here will look at the evidence put before them critically and take the right decision which I believe is for the common man.

“The election was meant to be electronically transmitted and we have an INEC portal which everybody has access to.

“At the point that the winners were announced, over 70 percent of the results have not been posted on the INEC portal.

“So if they have access to the real results of that day, definitely where they have over-voting, I’m sure I will be declared the winner of that election if they look at our petition critically.”

Earlier, while being cross-examined by Kazeem Gbadamosi, counsel to APC, Peller said some of the results declared by INEC in some LGAs of the senatorial district had incidences of “alterations, over-voting and mutilation”.