Abdulrahaman
abdulrazak
Finally, WAEC Confirms
Abdulrahaman
abdulrazak
Finally, WAEC Confirms Kwara Gov’s Result
West African Examinations Council (WAEC) on Thursday officially
confirmed that Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq sat its
secondary school leaving examination in 1976 at the Government
College Kaduna.
The council also confirmed that he had sat the exams using Razaq
A.R. as contained in the credentials the Governor repeatedly
submitted to the INEC when contesting for elections.
The confirmation was contained in the certified true copy of the
results of the Governor and other candidates of the same set that
the examination body forwarded to the Kwara State Election Petition
Tribunal sitting in Ilorin.
The tribunal is chaired by Justice Bassey Efiong.
The PDP is challenging the election of AbdulRazaq on the
allegation that he did not have WAEC results as required under the
law.
The WAEC document, which is the statement of result and numbered
exhibit P3B, was presented by Olorunsola Victor O., a senior
examination officer with the Ilorin office of the regional
body.
The witness, during cross examination, also confirmed to the
tribunal that at least 31 other candidates had their names
abbreviated, putting to rest claims by the PDP that the WAEC did
not allow abbreviations during that time.
Asked if it would be a horrible lie for anyone to claim that
AbdulRazaq did not write the exam, the witness said “yes”.
The CTC of the result was signed by Oshindehinde HSA, WAEC
deputy registrar, School Examinations Department on behalf of Head
of national Office of the body, Olu I. Adenipekun.
The result was presented following a subpeona of the tribunal at
the behest of the PDP.
The cross examination was preceded by a mild drama at the
tribunal when Paul Erokoro (SAN), counsel to the PDP Governorship
Candidate Razak Atunwa, disowned the representative of the WAEC
just minutes after he vehemently fought to have him testify at the
tribunal.
Erokoro turned 360 degrees after the witness presented the two
subpeonas the tribunal had earlier addressed to WAEC along with a
CTC of the Secondary School Certificate Examination result of the
Governor.
Rather than proceed to have the witness testify to the tribunal,
Erokoro said he no longer agreed that the witness had truly come to
represent the examination body because the subpeonas did not
contain any minute suggesting he had been asked to represent the
WAEC.
“We don’t accept this witness as coming from WAEC because
there’s no minute on the subpeona that he’s from WAEC. We can’t
take his ID as evidence that he’s from WAEC. WAEC should send a
witness with instructions to testify on its behalf. We shall
therefore be applying for a bench warrant for the head of WAEC to
appear before this tribunal,” Erokoro said.
Counsel to the Independent National Electoral Commission Rowland
Otaru (SAN); Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, Kunle Kalejaiye SAN;
and APC, Akin Olujimi SAN, all objected to the application.
They insisted that the witness had been sworn on oath and had
given his evidence and so must be cross-examined accordingly.
The tribunal, in its ruling, rejected the PDP’s application on
the grounds that there was no sufficient evidence to say that the
witness did not come from WAEC.
“We recall that the (witness) was presented by petitioners as
WAEC representative. He’s been sworn on oath that he’s WAEC
representative. He has presented his ID. He said he’s here to
present the document based on the subpeona. All of these
constituted evidence and there was no accusation of any sort
against (this witness),” according to Justice Effiong.
“The only disagreement of the petitioners is that there is no
minutes on the subpeona introducing him. We hold that this is not
sufficient to order warrant against WAEC, especially that
sufficient time had been given for this document to come.
“This witness has given evidence on oath and he must be
cross-examined. All of his testimonies on oath are on our
record.
“If the petitioners’ only argument is about minutes and not
necessarily the genuineness of the subpeona or document attached
thereto then we refuse this application of the petitioners for
bench warrant (on WAEC)
“We hold that the witness’s evidence be continued or if it is
concluded, then he must be cross-examined.”
The case has been adjourned to July 23 for the respondents to
open their defense.
Rafiu Ajakaye
Chief Press Secretary to Kwara State Governor