Oni’s witness watches own attack on journalists

People at the Ekiti State Election Petitions Tribunal were yesterday treated to a huge dose of drama when a loyalist of Governor Segun Oni, Femi Olanrewaju, was confronted with the video evidence of his alleged attack on journalists at the Government House on the eve of the last governorship rerun poll.

Olanrewaju, popularly known as "Ijakoko", denied ever entering the Ado-Ekiti Government House.

It was at the continuation of the hearing of the petition filed by the Action Congress (AC) governorship candidate, Kayode Fayemi, against Oni’s declaration as winner of the April 22 election by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

The rigorous drilling of the witness during his cross-examination by counsel to AC and Fayemi, Anthony Adeniyi, saw him (Olanrewaju) asking for water to drink to cool off.

The witness had severally been described as "Oni’s chief thug" by witnesses from Ifaki-Ekiti, his hometown who had earlier given evidence before the tribunal.

He was also accused of being the mastermind of the violence that rocked the community and other places where the rerun was held in Ido’Osi Local Government Area.

Having denied ever entering the Ado-Ekiti Government House, Adeniyi said the car that he (Olanrewaju) brought to the court had a "Government House Pass" sticker.

Replying, Olanrewaju, who was the Respondent Witness 13 (RW 13), admitted that the Government House Pass was given to him "only three days ago" by the Personal Assistant to the Governor, Bunmi Ojo, to facilitate his entry into the Government House.

The witness, who referred to himself as "respected chief", admitted living in Lagos sometime ago.

But, he denied that popular fuji musician sang his praises in an album.

Olanrewaju threw the whole courtroom reeling in laughter when he said: "A chief does not dance to weird music or involved in dancing disco in the full glare of the public".

When asked whether he was aware that journalists and election observers were attacked and driven away from Ifaki on the day of election, Olanrewaju said: "A chief does not engage in fighting in the public because it is the chiefs that always settle disputes of such nature".

Adeniyi told the witness that records have shown that he (Olanrewaju) was invited by the State Security Service (SSS) in connection with the attack on journalists. But Olanrewaju denied.

When the petitioners’ counsel told him that the cap he was wearing was a political symbol of his godfather (the governor), Olanrewaju said the cap was a replica of the one worn by the late sage, Chief Obafemi Awolowo.

The atmosphere in the court was charged when Adeniyi sought the permission of the Justice Hamma Barka-led panel to have the film of the Government House attack on the reporters relayed.

He requested that the film be paused where Olanrewaju was shown attacking one of the journalists.

Tension mounted during the proceeding when Adeniyi urged the tribunal to order Olanrewaju to remove his cap and eyeglasses to have a closer look at him.

In the video, Olanrewaju was seen biting one of the journalists on the back, after administering several slaps and kicks on them.

Counsel to Oni, Adebayo Adenipekun (SAN), objected to Adeniyi’s application and was also supported by the counsel to INEC and the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Rafiu Lawal-Rabana (SAN).

Adenipekun noted that asking his witness to remove his cap and eyeglasses would be tantamount to embarrassing him.

Tribunal chair Justice Barka asked Adeniyi to continue his cross-examination of the witness, and the frayed nerves were clamed, albeit temporarily.

Adeniyi asked the witness what the person attacking the journalists was doing in the video, Olanrewaju said he saw the aggressor pouncing on his victim but "I don’t know what he was doing with him".

The court was also shown the rowdy scene at the Ifaki Police Station where election observers were brutalised.

While under cross-examination from PDP counsel, Paul Erokoro (SAN), Olanrewaju denied being involved in any act of violence before, during and after the election.

He said he did not know those people that were shown in the video.

Under cross-examination from Lawal-Rabana, Olanrewaju denied knowing a fellow PDP loyalist, Peter Oladosu, popularly known as Erinmoje, and other witnesses from Ifaki.

He also denied holding any position in the Oni-led administration and the state chapter of the PDP.

Olanrewaju said all those who had come to the tribunal to testify to his alleged involvement in violence were telling lies against him.

Earlier in the day, a witness who came to testify for Oni from Ipoti-Ekiti, Temitope Olajuyi, told the tribunal while answering questions from Adeniyi that his desire was that Fayemi’s petition should not fail.

Adeniyi asked: "Is it your desire that this petition should fail?"

The witness answered: "No, my lord".

Olajuyi, RW 10, told the tribunal that no INEC form was filled before the commencement of voting in the unit where he served as an agent for the PDP.

He also denied that a member of the House of Assembly, Lai Oke, and other PDP chieftains in Ipoti disrupted election.

RW 11, Olufemi Ajibola, said his age at the time he registered as a voter was 37 years but he was surprised to see a different age in the Voters’ Register.

When asked whether he saw any INEC official or security agent bribed at the election, he said: "I can’t say whether INEC officials or policemen were bribed because if such happened, my lord, they will not allow me to see it.

"My lord, I cannot say what I did not see. I am not a contestant at the election so, I did not bribe anybody".

Ajibola also said he was not sure whether other party agents were given Form EC8A to fill like he did.

He said he was a councillorship aspirant and joined politics on part-time basis in 2007.

When it was brought to his attention that the number of accredited voters on Exhibit 31 (1) and the number of those who voted on Exhibit 57, the official result sheet did not tally, the witness responded that he was not the maker of the document.

RW 12, Joseph Ajayi was confronted with documents which revealed that 295 votes were cast but 319 were recorded. But, he denied involvement in the alleged inflation of figures.

He said he should not be held responsible for the alteration in the result sheet.

The hearing continues today