Abdulrahaman
abdulrazak
No Issues Over
Abdulrahaman
abdulrazak
No Issues Over Kwara Gov-Elect’s Certificate-
INEC
Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Wednesday
dismissed reports that it has been asked to produce the WAEC
certificate of the Kwara State Governor-elect AbdulRahman
AbdulRazaq.
Counsel to INEC, Rowland Otaru (SAN) told reporters in Ilorin,
the state capital, that at no time did the state governorship
tribunal order the body to produce a document that is clearly a
public record.
“The tribunal did not at anytime order INEC to produce the West
African Examinations Council (WAEC) certificate of Abdulrahman
Abdulrazaq,” Otaru said.
“The governor-elect has pleaded his certificate, which is very
genuine. There is nothing like falsification of result or whatever.
They are there. They are public records. It is not something to be
hidden. The documents the governor-elect tendered met the
requirements of the
law.”
Earlier, at the tribunal’s pre-hearing session, the commission
tendered two documents (Forms ECAD and ECAE) which contained the
results of the elections across the 16 local government areas and
declaration of results for the office of the governor of the
state.
INEC added that the documents affirmed that AbdulRazaq was the
winner of the election.
Otaru told the tribunal that “Those are the documents we have
now at this pre-hearing session. Every other document will come in
during the real trial.”
Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its candidate Abdulrazak
Atunwa are challenging the genuineness or otherwise of the WAEC
certificate of AbdulRazaq at the tribunal.
Counsel to PDP and its governorship candidate, Kingsley Odey,
did not object to the tendering of the document.
Odey told the court that he intends to call up maximum of five
witnesses, adding that one will be a document expert while the
other will be subpoenaed from the West African Examinations Council
(WAEC)
office.
Counsel to AbdulRazaq, H.O Afolabi, promised to call seven
witnesses, adding that the tribunal has the powers to streamline
and limit the number of witnesses to call.
He urged the tribunal “To be kind enough to let us work within
the timeframe allocated. That is my supplication. This is the best
approach through which I can ventilate the defence of my
clients.”
The INEC counsel agreed with him, saying: “This is the best way
to manage and save time. I promise to cross-examine all the PDP
witnesses in one day.”
Counsel to APC Chief Yomi Aliyu said he intends to call two
witnesses during real trial.
Pre-hearing conference continues on Thursday for the
streamlining of trial timetable.
Rafiu Ajakaiye
Media Aide to the Governor-Elect