The Lagos State Electoral Petition Tribunal has ordered the Lagos State Commissioner of Police to arrest the Divisional Police Officer, DPO, Badagry Police Division, Mr. Aliko Mohammed Dankoli, for failure to appear before the tribunal on 4 April as witness to continue his testimony.
The order of the tribunal was sequel to an application made by the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Chairmanship candidate in Badagry Local Government, Barrister Azeez Olagoke in the last council election.
The DPO was subpoenaed as a witness to come and tender the result given to him by the Electoral Officer during the local government election held on 24 October, 2011.
The DPO was at the tribunal on 30 March, 2012. He tendered the result given to him by the Electoral Officer in Badagry Local Government.
Thereafter, Barrister Ezekiel Afolayan, the counsel to the Action Congress of Nigeria, AC N, candidate who won the election, Husi Tode, then applied for a short adjournment for him to cross-examine the DPO on the document tendered.
The DPO specifically requested for 4 April to come back to the tribunal.
However, on that day, he failed to show up.
Consequently, Olagoke urged the tribunal to issue a bench warrant against the DPO.
The Chairman of the tribunal, Justice Francis Owobiyi acceded to the request, and ordered the issuance of the bench warrant against the DPO.
The PDP chairmanship candidate, Mr. Mustapha Adisa Dada, had filed a petition against the ACN candidate, Husi Tode who was declared the elected chairman of Badagry Local Government, the Lagos State Independent Electoral Commission, LASIEC and 12 others, urging the tribunal to declare him as the winner as he won 7,350 votes as against 6,383 votes scored by his opponent.
The matter has been adjourned till Thursday.
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