The Justice Badamosi led Edo State Gubernatorial Elections Petition Tribunal sitting in Benin City continues hearing today in the matter of Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu (POI) and the People's Democratic Party (PDP), on the one hand and Mr Godwin Nogheghase Obaseki (Obaseki), the All Progressives Party (APC) and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), on the other hand.
The All Progressives Congress opened her case today calling witnesses to support their argument that the election was credible.
Unfortunately two of the witnesses that the APC called discredited themselves and indicted the election by their testimonies.
Obaseki’s First witness, from Ward 5, Unit 24 of Oredo LGA said that he voted during the September 28 election but when he was given the voter register in the unit where he claimed to have voted, his name wasn't found on the register. Yet, he insisted that he voted.
The question that the petitioners and Edo people are asking him now is "How did he vote?' The likely implication for this id that the witness is not a credible witness and may be docked for perjury, a crime of lying under oath.
Obaseki's other witness from Ward 7, Unit 23 also in Oredo LGA was left helpless when he was made to calculate the ballot papers used as against what was issued by the Presiding officer of INEC.
What was issued by the presiding officer of INEC was 905 ballot papers. But the ballot papers used and unused during the election was 911 (calculated as 585 Unused and 326 Used making a total of 911).
This figure is greater than the total number of ballot papers issued to the Unit which is 905. This is a clear indication of fraud and over voting and the electoral act states that in such a situation the election result should be invalidated.
According to result declared by INEC, the APC was allocated 120 votes while the PDP was allocated 76 votes in that Unit.
Meanwhile, the Interim Governor of Edo State, Mr Godwin Obaseki, and his Deputy stormed out of the court room before then end of proceedings, apparently frustrated by the inaccuracies and inadequacies of their witness
Godwin Obaseki should have followed the style of this APC led government INEC by not allowing his paid witnesses to start messing up their case in the ongoing Tribunal Seating where PDP Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu is challenging the declaration of the Usurper Governor, Godwin Obaseki in as the winner of the worse and most fraudulent election ever known. A situation, where results were written, imported and announced.
You will recalled that, few days ago, INEC closed its case without presenting any single witness. When I went to investigate as to why INEC should not come to authenticate the election in which a winner was declared by it, with witnesses at least, the Presiding Officers, I gathered from reliable source as followed; that, interactions with the Ad hoc staff that were used have became unfriendly. Some of the Corp members (from NYSC) according to the source, they were coming to court to say the truth as they were not ready to lie on oath. Some others for fear of being arrested and jailed said, they were not coming and in fact, switched off their phones after receiving calls and text messages from INEC. It became obvious, when INEC staff who were used during the election said, they were not comfortable coming as witness as they were not ready to lie under oath. The above necessitated the reason, why INEC had to excuse itself from presenting witness rather preferred to rely on the cross examination of the petitioners witnesses. To that extent according to my source from INEC who pleaded to remain anonymous, they decided not to present any witness.
What is happening at the Tribunal at the moment where witnesses are being caught lying on oath cannot happen in a civilize system. Such witness should be seen being sent to jail to serve as deterrent to many others who might in one way or the other follow same. INEC staff that were used, knowing too well that, they are still in service was said to be smart not to keep their job on the line. A situation where a witness can in the presence of judges and even on oath called two tickings one can best be described as the worse lies even when the Judges confirmed that, the tickings were two (both left and right sides of voters in the voters register).
To that end, it was better for Mr. Godwin Obaseki not to present witness since, the witnesses so far presented either came to lie or further exposed the frauds that were perpetuated during the last Edo State governorship election termed Edo 2016 governorship election. However, he has the rights to the presentation of witnesses but whether or not, they lie on oath or make the case to be bad for him is a matter of time.
Let me therefore deposit that, when you lie, you require another lie to cover up the lies already established. This makes the lies form a chain and unending. Only truth stands and stand the test of time.
I WILL APPEAL - Obaseki
The APC candidate at the last gubernatorial elections left the court premisses today heavily disappointed by the performance of his lawyers and witnesses.
A staff of the Government House who pleaded to be anonymous said when Obaseki arrived the office and was greeted He was obviously overwhelmed and vented out his frustration, obviously as a result of the mess today by his witnesses at the election tribunal, Obaseki told staffs that He will appeal when He losses in anticipation of his defeat.
Based on evidences provided by the PDP candidate - Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu, there are convincing proofs that the results announced by INEC was filled with so much irregularities championed by the former Governor of the state in connivance with security agents and staffs of INEC.
INEC was unable to provide a single witness before the court to defend their announced results.
Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu prays the court to declare him winner being the candidate that rightly secured the majority votes in the elections.
