The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) house of representatives candidate for Irepodun, Isin, Ekiti and Oke-Ero Federal Constituency, Engr Dare Bankole, through his legal team, on Saturday, June 10,2023 tendered the duly certified documents by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as well as series of form EC8A(II) and EC8B(ll) given to agents to the court, urging the tribunal to admit them as evidences of Multiple Votings, alterations, cancellations and other forms of electoral malpractices.
Frightened by the sight of the documents, Counsel to INEC, Ajuloopin and All Progressives Congress (APC) quickly moved for the objection against admittance of the bundled documents as evidences , citing “blankness” of the papers as reasons for their objections among other issues they sort to argue at the final address stage
Marvelled by their learned colleague’s actions; counsel to Dare Bankole , Mr Opeyemi Ogunleye Esq told court he was surprised INEC will join APC in objecting documents duly certified by its office .
The court later refused to entertain further objections,commentaries from INEC and Ajuloopin legal teams, urging them not to waste precious time of the court.
The Justice T.T Asua -led three-member panel thereafter admitted all documents tendered by Engineer Dare Bankole Counsel as evidences and marked them as exhibit P1,P2,P3 and P4 for Irepodun, Isin, Ekiti and Oke-Ero Ero LG respectively for Forms EC8A (ll).
The PDP’s candidate had maintained that the evidences he sought to tender was in respect of the four Local Government Council, areas ,wards and polling units where irregularities were seen to have taken place .
Aside Ajuloopin and APC , The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) also opposed the admissibility of the other documents.
The Tribunal equally admitted bundles of Forms EC8B series from the 4 LGAs tendered by Dare Bankole vibrant lawyer .
Meanwhile, Witnesses presented by INEC was cross examined by Dare Bankole lawyer, Opeyemi esq. During cross examination, the witness admitted that everything he presented before the tribunal were based on account of hearsay and not what he knows.
Opeyemi who asked the witness to read out paragraph one from the document he tabled before the court as evidence , pointed out where the witness claimed he is Electoral Officer (E.O) of both Irepodun and Ekiti . The witness later admitted it was an error.
lNEC being boxed below the belt, refused to call it’s second witness and quickly asked the Tribunal it want to close it’s case despite the fact that the witness was present in court.
The court thereafter adjourned to 22th of June,2023 for further hearing on the matter.