Opponent vows to upturn Kashamu’s victory

The All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate who lost in the recently held Ogun East Senatorial election in Ogun State, Dapo Abiodun has commenced legal battle at the election petition tribunal to up-turn the victory of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, Buruji Kashamu who was declared winner by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

In pursuit of this, the APC candidate has secured the service of four Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SANs), namely Alhaji Yusuf Ali, Rickey Tarfa, Abiodun Owonikoko and Mahmoud Abubakar.

At the commencement of proceedings at the three-man tribunal holding in the premises of the Ogun State High Court, Isabo Abeokuta the petitioner, Abiodun was granted permission to inspect the electoral materials at the INEC office.

The petitioner who is contesting Kashamu’s electoral victory on the grand of alleged massive rigging and irregularities, further contended that the poll was rigged and manipulated in favour of the PDP candidate. He also alleged that the Kashamu induced voters, with money in the course of voting and during the collation of results.

The petitioner also alleged that there were manipulations in some areas where the number of those who voted exceeded the number of those accredited to vote.

According to him, election results on Forms EC8A, EC8B and EC8Cs did not correspond in many polling units from four local government areas of Ijebu North, Sagamu, Remo North and Ikenne, where he said the election results were massively rigged in favour of the respondent.

It was also contended that there were no voting in wards 5 and 7 in Sagamu and a ward in Ogun Waterside Local Government, yet the PDP candidate was declared winner in the three wards.

Speaking shortly after the commencement of proceedings at the tribunal, Abiodun vowed to reclaim his mandate, which he said was wrongly awarded to Kashamu.

“We have all facts at our disposal, unknown to them. This is people’s mandate, freely given to me. And no amount of dollar-induced manipulations can take away my mandate,” Abiodun said.

But in his reaction Kashamu through his media aide, Austin Oniyokor, said he was ready to defend his mandate at the tribunal.

He added that the Electoral Act has made provisions for aggrieved parties to seek redress and that the APC candidate is free to contest the senatorial election results.