Ondo Gov Election Free And Fair, INEC Insists |The Source

By Ayodele Oni

The Independent National Electoral Commission,(INEC) insisted on Tuesday that the October 10 Governorship election in Ondo state was free and fair.

The confirmation was coming as the Director  of Operations of INEC Tope Aina, testified before the Election Petition Tribunal, hearing the petition filed by the candidate of People’s Democratic Party, (PDP) Eyitayo Jegede, against the victory of Governor Rotimi Akeredolu in the poll.

Under cross examination by Mr Akin Olujimi, Counsel to Governor Akeredolu, the INEC official pointed out that there was no way the PDP candidate could have won the election with his 195, 791 total votes scored.

Mr Aina also confirmed that PDP In 2016 had a Caretaker Committee under Alhaji Ahmed Markafi that nominated the petitioner as the governorship candidate, but could not recall whether Makarfi was a serving governor at that time.

Jegede’s Counsel, Onyechi Ikpeazu, was, however, furious that the INEC official, with his 30 years experience, could not fully recall an issue which happened just five years ago.

Aina pointed out that there was nothing wrong with a registered political party appointing a Caretaker Committee in accordance with its constitution to run its affairs when circumstances make it necessary in as much it is in line with the constitution.

The PDP and its candidate, Mr Eyitayo Jegede, had, last week Wednesday, closed their case without calling their 399 witnesses listed.

Counsel to INEC, Charles Edosomwan, had led the Commission’s Director of Operations, Mr Tope Aina, to a witness box, and adopted his statement on oath.

After all parties agreed to it, the Tribunal adjourned to Wednesday, 20th of January 2020.