Politics
Ogun Tribunal: Two Ad Hoc Staff Detail Election Disruptions
Two ad hoc staff members of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) appeared before the Ogun State Election Petition Tribunal in Abeokuta, the state capital, on Thursday.
The first witness, Ezeajaegbu Desmond, formerly a National Youth Service Corps member, served as the Presiding Officer at Polling Unit 0012, Ward 6, Makun Sagamu. The second witness, Okitipki Mogbeyi, was the Assistant Presiding Officer.
During their testimony, both witnesses stated that voting at their respective polling units was disrupted by unknown thugs.
Desmond recounted that the hoodlums attacked his polling unit and set the electoral materials on fire, including his INEC reflective jacket.
He said “I was able to escape with the BVAS machine only. We were trained to let go of materials if attacked.”
Desmond further revealed that approximately 50 people had cast their votes before the thugs arrived at the polling station, armed with weapons, and proceeded to burn all the voting materials.
However, during the cross-examination by counsel to INEC, Remi Olatubora, Desmond’s status as an INEC Presiding Officer was disputed, and he was disowned by the counsel.
Olatubora claimed that Desmond should have contacted INEC before appearing at the tribunal, despite the fact that the subpoena was addressed to him.
Olatubora described him as the first to testify against his client, saying: “You were never a Presiding Officer, you are an arranged witness, a procured witness, a suborn witness. You were paid to testify for PDP.
Desmond maintained his claim as a Presiding Officer, providing evidence of the payment he received from the electoral umpire to support his position.
He vehemently denied receiving any payment from the PDP to act as a witness at the tribunal.
Similarly, Mogbeyi testified that her polling unit was also attacked by unidentified political thugs, which resulted in the disruption of voting.
She explained that she chose not to report the incident to the police because security agents were present at the time of the invasion and witnessed the situation themselves.
During her testimony, Mogbeyi refuted any allegations of being paid by the PDP to testify at the tribunal.
She said “I honoured the subpoena because I didn’t want to go to jail. It was addressed to me personally, not INEC.”
Governor Dauda Lawal of Zamfara State has explained that the persistent crisis and legal disputes within the Peoples Democratic Party compelled him to defect to the All Progressives Congress.
The governor’s defection was formally announced on Monday by his deputy, Mani Mummuni, after a stakeholders’ meeting held at the Government House in Gusau.
In a statement issued by the governor’s spokesperson, Sulaiman Bala Idris, the move was described as a necessary step taken in the interest of the state and supported by political stakeholders across Zamfara.
SEE ALSO: JUST IN: PDP Crisis Deepens as Appeal Court Upholds Ban on Ibadan Convention
According to the statement, Governor Lawal had remained committed to the PDP despite the ongoing leadership crisis and had made several efforts to reconcile factions within the party.
However, attempts to achieve peace and unity reportedly failed, leading to prolonged legal battles.
The development followed a judgment by the Court of Appeal in Abuja, which dismissed an appeal filed by the PDP challenging an earlier ruling of the Federal High Court.
The earlier judgment had restrained the Independent National Electoral Commission from recognising the outcome of the party’s national convention held in Ibadan, Oyo State.
The governor was said to have informed political stakeholders during a series of meetings that he would make a final decision about his political future after the appellate court delivered its ruling.
Following the judgment, Lawal concluded that joining the APC would better position him to continue what he described as the “Zamfara Rescue and Rebuild Mission.”
His defection marks a significant shift in the political landscape of Zamfara State and could influence political alignments ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The Court of Appeal in Abuja has handed a significant setback to Ondo State Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa, dismissing his appeal challenging a Federal High Court ruling that questioned his eligibility to contest the upcoming governorship election.
A three-member panel delivered a unanimous judgment on Monday, affirming that the trial court acted correctly when it allowed Dr Akindele Egbuwalo, the plaintiff, to amend his originating summons.
ALSO READ: No Shake-Up in Ondo: Aiyedatiwa Denies Plot To Remove Deputy Gov
Justice Uchechukwu Onyemenam, who read the lead judgment, said the governor failed to show that the High Court’s decision caused any miscarriage of justice or denied him a fair hearing.
The appeal was therefore dismissed for lacking merit, and the court awarded ₦2 million in costs against Aiyedatiwa.
The ruling reinforces the November 24, 2025, Federal High Court decision in Akure, which granted Egbuwalo permission to challenge Aiyedatiwa’s eligibility for re-election.
Earlier, the Court of Appeal also rejected an application by Aiyedatiwa to set aside a January 27, 2026, order staying proceedings in the case before the Federal High Court.
The appellate court clarified that the stay was a lawful exercise of its jurisdiction aimed at protecting the integrity of the proceedings.
The panel further emphasized that attempting to overturn its own order would be akin to sitting on appeal over its own decision.
The governor’s remaining option, the court noted, is to challenge the ruling at the Supreme Court. Another ₦2 million in costs was awarded against Aiyedatiwa.
The crisis rocking the Peoples Democratic Party has deepened following a ruling by the Court of Appeal in Abuja which upheld a ban on the party’s proposed national convention in Ibadan, Oyo State.
A three-man panel of the appellate court on Monday dismissed an appeal filed by a faction of the party led by former Minister of Special Duties, Kabiru Turaki, challenging the jurisdiction of the Federal High Court to hear a suit concerning the controversial convention.
The Turaki-led faction had approached the Court of Appeal after a Federal High Court barred the party from holding its planned national convention scheduled for November 14 and 15, 2025.
SEE MORE: Fubara Moves to Rebuild Cabinet as R/Assembly Screens Nine Commissioner Nominees
The lower court also restrained the Independent National Electoral Commission from recognising or validating the proposed convention.
However, delivering judgment, the appellate court ruled that the Federal High Court had the authority to entertain the case, rejecting the argument that the matter was purely an internal affair of the party.
According to the court, the appellants could not present what it described as a clear violation of the party’s constitution and the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as merely an internal party issue.
The panel subsequently dismissed the appeal and awarded a cost of N2 million against the appellants.
The ruling is part of judgments delivered in nine harmonised appeals filed by the Turaki-led faction over the dispute surrounding the convention.
The latest court decision is expected to further intensify the internal wrangling within the opposition party as it continues to grapple with leadership disputes and preparations ahead of the 2027 general elections.
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