Tribunal: Former Borno deputy gov Dibal testifies for Sanwo-Olu

Former Borno State Deputy Gov. Adamu Shettima Yuguda Dibal,  who chaired the last governorship primary election of the All Progressives Congress in Lagos State, on Tuesday testified before Lagos State  Election Petition Tribunal.

The primary election produced Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu as the APC Governorship Candidate for the 2023 General Elections.

The Peoples Democratic Party and its governorship candidate for the March 18 governorship poll are challenging Sanwo-Olu’s re-election as the state governor.

Mr Bode Olanipekun (SAN), counsel to Sanwo-Olu and his Deputy, Dr Obafemi Hamzat, led Dibal in evidence.

Dibal told the tribunal headed by Justice Arum Ashom that the Lagos State Chairman of the APC, Mr Cornelius Ojelabi, did not flout any electoral regulation when he notified the Lagos State Office of INEC in writing about the party’s primary election in Lagos State.

During cross-examination, Mr Clement Onwuenwunor (SAN), counsel to the PDP Governorship Candidate,  Mr Abdulazeez Adediran (a.k.a. Jandor), asked the witness whether Ojelabi was the national chairman of the APC as at May 24, 2022, when he wrote the letter.

The witness told the court that it was APC’s  National Working Committee (NWC) that set up state committees that conducted the primary election in all 36 states.

While being cross-examined by APC counsel, Mr Babatunde Ogala (SAN), the chieftain, after being shown the said letter which had become an exhibit before the tribunal, said that Ojelabi was only informing the INEC  office that the NWC had constituted a five-member committee to conduct the primary election in  Lagos State and he was the Chairman.