The Nigerian Police have said an agent of the All Progressives Congress in the June 21 governorship election in Ekiti State, Mr. Peter Alabi, was involved snatching of ballot box during the poll in Ayedun Ekiti, Ikole Local Government Area of the state.
They said Alabi escaped arrest but that the election of the unit where the incident happened was cancelled by the Independent National Electoral Commission.
The police who stated this in their report tendered before the Governorship Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Abuja on Thursday, added that the incident was the only electoral offence recorded throughout the state during the election.
The Justice Mohammed Siraju-led tribunal admitted the police report as exhibit.
This came as all parties in the petition challenging the victory of Governor Ayodele Fayose of the Peoples Democratic Party in the election, brought their cases to a close on Thursday.
The police said in their report that the APC agent who snatched the ballot box had done so under the pretext of trying to cast his vote.
The report reads in part, “Result of Unit 6 Odogo under Ward 9 in Ikole Local Government Area was cancelled due to the snatching of the ballot box by one peter Alabi of Odo Ayedun Ekiti an APC agent who pretended to cast his vote and ran into the bush with the ballot box. When pursued by the security agents, he tore the ballot papers there in and escaped.
“INEC subsequently cancelled the unit result.”
The police, represented by Chief Olusola Oke, said in their report that the snatching of the ballot box was the only electoral offence recorded during the election in the state.
“Where we experienced snatching of ballot box and tearing of ballot papers in which suspect mentioned is presently at large,” the police report signed by the Commissioner of Police (Election), Ekiti state Command, Ikechukwu A. Aduba, read in part.
The matter was then adjourned till December 17 for parties to adopt their final written addresses in the petition which was filed by the All Progressives Congress.
The APC fielded former governor of Ekiti State, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, in the election.
The petitioner alleged excessive militarisation of the election in a manner that jeopardised its chances at the poll and the ineligibility of Fayose to contest in the election on that he had been impeached as governor in 2006.
The party also challenged the eligibility of Fayose to contest in the election stating that he was undergoing criminal prosecution by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.
But Fayose, represented by Yusuf Ali (SAN), had in his defence told the tribunal that the panel set up to investigate him as governor in 2006 cleared him and his purported impeachment by the state House of Assembly went to illegally remove him.
Apart from Fayose and the PDP, other respondents in the petition are Chief of Army Staff and INEC. Click to signup for FREE news updates, latest information and hottest gists everyday
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