Godwin Tsa, Abuja

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Thursday urged the Kogi State National Assembly Election Petition Tribunal sitting at the Federal High Court in Abuja to dismiss the petition brought by Senator Dino Melaye against the outcome of the November 16 and 30th 2019 election in the state for lacking in merit.

Meanwhile, the electoral body told the tribunal that there was no need calling any witnesses to defend the result of the election won by Senator Smart Adeyemi since all the witnesses called by the petitioner admitted that the election was free and fair.

Senator Melaye of the People Democratic Party (PDP) had sued the winner of the Kogi West Senatorial election, Senator Smart Adeyemi, before the tribunal, alleging irregularities.

Senator Melaye closed his case at the tribunal on April 23, 2019. He called witnesses who testified at the tribunal and admitted that the election was free and fair.

INEC was supposed to open its case last week but the commission, through its counsel, Mr Chris Alashi, told the court that the lockdown made it impossible for him to gather the witnesses across the country.

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At the sitting of the tribunal on Wednesday, Alashi said he reviewed the evidence of the petitioner’s witnesses and came to the conclusion that there was no need calling any witnesses since their evidence before the tribunal supported the position of the commission that the election was free, fair and without violence.

“When I was trying to get in touch with the witnesses, I also used the same time to review the testimony of the petitioner’s witnesses.

“In their evidence, most of them admitted before the tribunal that they lied in their statement.

“On this note, I am no longer calling any evidence and this is based on the fact that the first respondent case was clearly established during the cross-examination of the Petitioner’s witnesses. Your lordships can bear me witness that I commended the witnesses for saying the truth that the election was free and fair. On this note, I hereby close my case and plead your lordships to grant me my prayers that the petitions should be dismissed for lacking in merits and full of lies, errors and deceits,” he said.

The case has been fixed for 5th May 2020.