ABEOKUTA– A star witness of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Sunkanmi Oyejide, on Thursday told the Ogun State Election petition tribunal that Governor Dapo Abiodun of the All Progressives Congress (APC) forged his West African Examination Council (WAEC) certificate.
Oyejide told the tribunal that Abiodun forged his certificate, saying WAEC had appeared before the tribunal to confirm his claim.
While being cross-examined by counsel to Abiodun, Taiwo Osipitan, whether he still stands by his statement on oath that Abiodun forged his certificate, Oyejide retorted in the affirmative.
“Yes, I stand by my statement on oath that Dapo Abiodun forged his certificate. A WAEC official was here and he told the honourable tribunal that Mr Dapo Abiodun does not have a WAEC certificate. We have earlier written to WAEC as a party, there was no reply. WAEC was also subpoenaed and they said they don’t have his records. They told this honourable tribunal. The evidence is in the court record. I stand by my statement,” Oyejide stated.
Oyejide was given a copy of the WAEC certificate the governor submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), from where he was told to read out the grades.
After reading out the grades in the said certificate, Oyejide insisted that the tendered certificate was forged.
He recalled that the governor’s certificate had been an issue of controversies since 2019 when he first contested to be governor.
Osipitan asked the witness whether he has ever seen the governor speak in English language, Oyejide said yes, but “there are errors, he once said one month is 40 days.”
During further cross-examination, the witness said he monitored happenings across the over 5,000 polling units through the PDP agents on the day of the election.
According to him, the video he played in court was a true account of what transpired at the polling units where votes were disrupted.
