A mild drama played out at the Kogi State Governorship Election Petitions Tribunal on Friday when a witness of the Social Democratic Party, SDP, contradicted the documents submitted against the election of governor Usman Ododo.
The petitioners, Muritala Ajaka and SDP, had delved away from BVAS after their star witness claimed he was not in Kogi State during the said election and alleged that the All Progressives Congress candidate, now the Kogi State Governor, Usman Ododo, forged his age declaration affidavit.
The witness, Dan Musa Williams from the Federal Capital Territory High Court, in Abuja, had said the documents did not emanate from the Court but upon cross examination, he could not substantiate his claims.
When asked whether he checked the records of the registry to ascertain that the documents were forged, the witness said he just looked at the date, being a Saturday, and concluded that it could not have been from them.
It was, however, found that the ‘declaration of age’, affidavit was sworn to in Okene, Kogi State and not in the FCT.
However, the witness claimed that a lawyer forwarded the one he was talking about to him.
Confusion erupted when the witness claimed that he also concluded that the affidavit submitted by the APC candidate was fake because it did not have the name and picture of the deponent on it.
At this point, the attention of the SDP witness was drawn to the fact that the affidavit with Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, which he also annexed, had both the picture and name of the deponent, and indicated that it was sworn to in Okene and not FCT.
The contradictions between what the witness said in court and the documents he presented to the Tribunal halted proceedings as he could not give further defence after the discrepancies were pointed out.
Meanwhile, the Tribunal has shifted further hearing till March 30, 2024.