Witnesses Disown Depositions At Kogi Tribunaal Sitting

There was a mild drama at the Kogi State Election Petitions Tribunal sitting in Abuja, yesterday, as some witnesses disowned their depositions before the panel.

Four witnesses from Adavi local government area of the state gave their evidence for the Social Democratic Party (SDP), before the three-member panel of justices, led by Justice Ado Birnin-Kudu.

The witnesses, when called, gave virtually the same narration regarding what transpired where they voted even though they were in different polling units during the November 11, 2023 governorship poll.

The four witnesses, like the previous ones, adopted their witness depositions on oath.

However, during cross-examination by the counsel to respondents, they made claims different from what was in the witness depositions.

When shown their deposition, they disowned it, saying it was not written by them while also confirming that they were not polling agents but random voters.

One of the witnesses, Rufai Muhammed, who said he was from Adavi local government, stated in his deposition that there was no validly accredited voter for the said election.

Upon cross examination, however, he said he was validly accredited to vote and he voted.

When his attention was drawn to his witness deposition on oath, which said there was no validly accredited voter for the election that he witnessed, he denied the deposition, saying he did not write it.

Another witness, Yakubu AbdulAzeez, said he stood at a particular point throughout the voting period on election day observing the proceedings, and that it was from that point he saw that there was over-voting.