Tribunal didn’t ask for Kwara gov-elect’s WAEC certificate, INEC insists

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) yesterday dismissed reports that the Kwara State Governorship Election Tribunal asked it to produce Governor-elect AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq’s West African Examinations Council (WAEC) certificate.

Counsel to INEC, Rowland Otaru (SAN) told reporters in Ilorin that the tribunal never asked INEC to produce a document that is clearly a public record.

“The tribunal did not at anytime order INEC to produce the WAEC certificate of AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq. The governor-elect had produced his certificate, which is very genuine.

“There is nothing like falsification of result. It is not something that could be hidden. The documents AbdulRazaq presented met the requirements of the law,” Otaruu stated.

Earlier at the tribunal’s pre-hearing session, the commission tendered two documents (Forms ECAD and ECAE), which contained the results of the elections in the 16 local government areas of the state and declaration of results for the gubernatorial poll.

INEC added that the documents affirmed that AbdulRazaq won the election.

Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its candidate, Abdulrazak Atunwa, are challenging the genuineness or otherwise of AbdulRazaq’s WAEC certificate at the tribunal.

Counsel to PDP and its governorship candidate, Kingsley Odey, did not object to the documents tendered as he intends to call up five witnesses, adding that one will be a document expert, while the other will be subpoenaed from WAEC’s office.

Counsel to AbdulRazaq, Barrister H. O. Afolabi, promised to call seven witnesses, adding that the tribunal has the powers to streamline and limit the number of witnesses to call, while counsel to APC, Chief Yomi Aliyu, said he would call two witnesses during the trial.

Pre-hearing conference continues today for the streamlining of trial timetable.