Okitipupa/Irele Primary Dispute: INEC, APC Officials Testify in Court Over Contested Ticket

The Federal High Court sitting in Abuja on Thursday resumed substantive proceedings in the contentious legal battle trailing the All Progressives Congress (APC) primary election for the Okitipupa/Irele Federal Constituency of Ondo State. Key officials from both the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the ruling party took the witness stand to tender statutory documentation and provide sworn testimonies concerning the procedural integrity of the internal ballot.

Presiding over the matter, the court admitted critical electoral exhibits, including monitored delegate lists, statutory certification notices, and comprehensive supervisory reports submitted by field monitors who observed the primary exercise. Legal counsel representing the aggrieved aspirants vigorously cross-examined the institutional witnesses, challenging the authenticity of purported consensus arrangements and parallel voting protocols alleged to have transpired on election day.

According to testimonies delivered under cross-examination, INEC representatives affirmed that their statutory duty remained strictly focused on observing processes sanctioned by the party's National Working Committee (NWC), while APC administrative delegates defended the operational mechanisms utilized during the primary voting process, asserting that all guidelines conformed with the Electoral Act 2022.