Ekiti Guber Tribunal: APC presents FIRS sacked staff member as witness

●Admits Mala Buni conducts Oyebanji’s primary election

The Ekiti Governorship Election Petition Tribunal resumed hearing on Tuesday to enable the defence open its case.

The first witness called by the defence was a sacked federal civil servant who openly denied his formal name in order to hide his real identity from the tribunal.

The witness, who is the State Secretary of the All Progressive Congress (APC), Mr Garba Arogundade, a former staff member of the Federal Inland Revenue denied that his name was Sola but later admitted that Sola was his real name when cross-examined by the petitioner’s lead counsel, Mr Obafemi Adewale.

Testifying before the tribunal, Arogundade admitted that Mala Buni was the national caretaker chairman of the APC which conducted the last governorship primary election in the state.

Earlier in an attempt to create confusion, Arogundade had told the tribunal that the primary election that produced Mr Biodun Oyebanji was conducted by the local party, but while in further cross examination, he said that the primary election was conducted by the Mala Buni-led Caretaker Committee in a reverse manner.

Again, during cross examination by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC)’s lawyer, Mr Charles Owensuyi, Arogundade told the tribunal that Mala Buni and John James Akpanudoedehen, the national caretaker chairman and the national secretary respectively conducted the APC governorship primary election of January 27, 2022 in Ekiti State.

Earlier, the APC lead counsel, Chief Lateef Fagbemi had apologised to the tribunal that the first, second and fourth principal witnesses had their flights delayed, leading to the tribunal resuming sitting at 11 am instead of 9 am.

However, at 1 pm when these witnesses failed to show up at the tribunal, Fagbemi further apologised to the tribunal but promised to present them the next day.

It will be recalled that the Social Democratic Party ( SDP) governorship candidate and former Ekiti State Governor, Asiwaju Segun Oni, who was dissatisfied at the governorship Election results conducted on June 18, 2023 had filed a petition at the tribunal.

The tribunal therefore adjourned to Wednesday, October 19, 2022.