Tribunal discovers wrong ballot papers for Ondo Assembly election

Yinka Oladoyinbo, Akure - 10.03.2008

The election petition tribunal in Ondo State on Saturday discovered that the ballot papers meant for the Rivers and Cross River State Houses of Assembly election were used in Ondo State during the April 14 House of Assembly election.

The papers were used in Akoko Northwest Local Government area to vote for the Speaker, Hon Bakiita Bello.

This discovery was made during a recount of the ballot papers used for the election as ordered by the Justice J.S. Ikyegh led tribunal. During the recount, over seven bundles of the ballot papers were found among the sacks brought to the tribunal by officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), all thumb-printed.

The candidate of the Labour Party (LP) at the election, O. C. Adebisi, had challenged the victory of Bakiita of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the Akoko North West Constituency I of the state. During the recounting exercise, it was discovered that several ballot papers meant for Rivers and Cross River States most of which were still intact with their counterfoils were all thumb-printed.

INEC had declared Bakita the winner of the election having polled 8,550 to the LP’s candidate of 6,104. Adebisi, however, contended that the election was marred with irregularities, ranging from rigging to over voting. Consequently, he has prayed the tribunal to return him as duly elected.