Hearing in a suit challenging the emergence of Mr Seyi Makinde as the Peoples Democratic Party’s governorship candidate in Oyo State started in Ibadan, the state capital on Monday.
The suit was instituted by a governorship aspirant, Ayoade Adeseun.
Two witnesses called by Adeseun’s counsel, Mr Michael Lana, told a State High Court presided over by Justice Ganiyu Sunmonu how they were brought in from Iwo Local Government Area of Osun State as fake PDP delegates to vote for Makinde during the September 30, 2018 primary election.
Adeseun, who stormed out of the primary venue, had sued the PDP and the Independent National Electoral Commission, claiming that non-members of the party were recruited to participate in the said election.
One of the witnesses, Maruf Alimi, told the court that he participated in the the PDP’s primary election despite being a member of the All Progressives Congress in Osun State.
Alimi said, “I am a member of APC in Osun State. About 20 of us were approached where we usually gather in Ogburo town in Iwo Local Government.
“The man who approached us told us that he is a member of the PDP and he brought us to Ibadan.
“We were lodged at the A3 Hotel in Ibadan on September 29, 2018.
“We were later taken to the field where the election was conducted, and the 20 of us were given delegates’ cards.
“Once they called a local government, those who brought us would say we should go up to vote and we voted for Seyi Makinde that day.”
Another witness, Oluwatosin Alimi, also told the court that she was brought along with nine other women from Iwo Local Government to vote for Makinde.
During cross-examination, the defendant’s counsel, Adeniyi Farinto, alleged that the two witnesses from Iwo were fake witnesses and liars.
The case was however adjourned till Tuesday.
