Witnesses have told the National and State Assembly Election Petitions Tribunal in Ibadan, Oyo State, that the August 16 by-election into Ikenne/Sagamu/Remo North Federal constituency in Ogun State was allegedly marred by over voting, violence, intimidation and vote-buying.
The witnesses presented by the Peoples Democratic Party, told the three-member panel, led by Justice A M Yakubu that the disturbances occurred across several polling units in the Remo Federal Constituency.
Recall that the Independent National Electoral Commission had declared the candidate of the All Progressives Congress, Mrs Adesola Ayoola-Elegbeji, winner of the by-election.
The Returning Officer, Kazeem Bello, made the declaration at the Ikenne collation centre, saying that Ayoola-Elegbeji secured victory across the three local government areas of Sagamu, Ikenne and Remo North.
According to INEC, Ayoola-Elegbeji polled a total of 41,237 votes to defeat her closest rival, the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, candidate, Bolarinwa Oluwole, who garnered 14,324 votes, while the candidate of the African Democratic Congress scored 289 votes.
However, the PDP dragged INEC, APC and Ayoola-Elegbeji before the National and State Assembly Election Petitions Tribunal challenging the outcome of the election.
PDP alleged that elections were disrupted in 448 polling units out of 557 polling units.
The party among other things prayed the Tribunal to nullify the election, an order setting aside the certificate of return issued by the first respondent (INEC) to the second respondent (Ayoola-Elegbeji).
The party also prayed the panel to direct the first respondent to conduct a fresh by-election for the House of Representative, Ikenne/Sagamu/Remo North Federal Constituency.
Counsel to PDP, Olumuyiwa Obanewa listed 49 witnesses who were cross-examined by counsels to the respondents: Olutayo Ayeni (INEC), Taiwo Osinpitan (APC candidate) and Remi Olatubora (APC).
Led in evidence by Obanewa, the first witness, Osho Babatunde, a resident of Oderwa, Arewa, Ode 1 in Remo North Local Government Area of the state alleged that hoodlums stormed multiple polling units, disrupted voting and chased voters away.
Babatunde further alleged that the attackers freely moved around the polling areas without resistance from security operatives.
Another witness, Bolanle Jimoh, a resident of Ode-Remo claimed that vote-buying was carried out openly, explaining that some voters were approached with cash and instructed to display their ballot papers to confirm compliance.
According to her, the tense atmosphere caused some residents to leave the polling stations without voting.
Meanwhile, Jimoh, a PDP polling agent while being cross-examined alleged that APC thugs came to her unit and disrupted the election
She said, “I know that they were APC thugs because they came with cards in hands and asked for PDP voters to leave the polling unit, so I ran away and by the time I ran away and by the time I came back to the polling unit, voting was completed and the result declared,” Jimoh alleged.
Closing his case, counsel to PDP, Obanewa urged the Tribunal to act on the evidence of the witnesses and grant all the prayers of the petitioners.
Responding, counsels to the respondents, urged the Tribunal to adjourn till 8th, 9th, 10th, 11th, 12th and 13th of December for all the respondents to take their witnesses.
Justice Yakubu adjourned to the 8th, 9th, 10th, 11th, 12th and 13th of December, 2025 for all the respondents to take their witnesses and close their respective cases.