SDP witness to tribunal: I was not in Kogi during governorship election

The Social Democratic Party (SDP) star witness in the Kogi State governorship election, Mr. Abdulmalik Njidda, on Monday told the state governorship election petition tribunal sitting in Abuja that he was not in the state on the day of the poll.

Njidda, a data analyst with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), stated this when he completed his evidence-in-chief and was cross-examined by the respondents’ counsel.

The SDP governorship candidate, Murtala Ajaka, is challenging Governor Usman Ododo’s victory in the November 11, 2023 governorship election in Kogi State.

Njidda had earlier testified on the events that took place during the election, especially on the entries on the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) machines used for the election in Adavi, Ajaokuta, Okene, Okehi, Ogori Magongo and Lokoja Local Government Areas of the state.

READ ALSO: Kogi SDP governorship candidate, Ajaka, alleges assassination plot on him

However, drama ensued when the counsel to the governor and INEC asked the witness about his whereabouts during the poll and he said he was nowhere near the state on election day.

Njidda told the panel he was posted to Imo for the governorship election held the same day as that of Kogi and Bayelsa States.

Specifically, the INEC analyst admitted that he was never at any of the polling units where issues arose on election day

He said he was therefore not in a position to know or show how the BVAS machines were operated at those polling units.

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