There was a mild drama at the Kogi Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Abuja on Thursday as the Social Democratic Party (SDP)’s witness, Danmusa Williams, contradicted himself on documents before the panel.
The SDP and its governorship candidate in the November 11 election, Murtala Ajaka, had alleged that the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Governor Usman Ododo, forged his age declaration affidavit.
Testifying before the three-member panel of justices led by Justice J.O.K. Oyewole, the witness from the FCT High Court, Abuja, who had said the documents did not emanate from the court, upon cross-examination, could not substantiate his claims.
When asked whether he checked the registry record to ascertain that it was a forged document, Mr Williams said he only looked at the date, being on Saturday, and concluded that it could not have been from them.
After it was found that the governor’s declaration of age affidavit was deposed to in Okene, Kogi, and not in FCT, the witness told the tribunal that a lawyer forwarded the affidavit he was referring to.
However, there was controversy when Mr Williams further claimed that the affidavit submitted by the APC candidate was fake because it did not have the name and picture of the deponent on it.
The witness’ attention was then drawn to the fact that the affidavit submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), which he also annexed with the documents, had both the picture of the deponent and name and that it was sworn to in Okene and not FCT.
Mr Williams was stuck for words after the discrepancies between what he said in court and the documents he presented were pointed out by the defence counsel.
Justice Oyewole adjourned the matter until March 30 for the continuation of the hearing.
While Pius Akubo, SAN, represented the petitioners, Kanu Agabi, SAN, J.B. Daudu, SAN, and D.C. Denwigwe, SAN, appeared for the respondents.
(NAN)