Africa-Press – Kenya. Wajir Governor Ahmed Abdullahi witnesses on Friday told an election court that the last general election was free, fair and transparent. Yahya Dahiye and Ahmed Hussein dismissed claims that the Wajir governor election was marred with malpractices saying the polls were conducted in strict adherence to the law.
Led in their evidence by Governor Abdullahi’s lawyer Omwanza Ombati, Dahiye, who was the chief agent of the governor said voting was conducted at all the polling stations across the six constituencies. He said at no point did he receive any adverse reports from any polling station.
“I equally confirm that the counting of votes at the polling stations went on seamlessly. Tallying at the constituency tallying centre was equally above-board,” Dahiye, who is also the governor’s chief of staff said.
“The allegations made by the petitioner are untruthful and are calculated to mislead the court.”
Hussein, who was the chief agent in Wajir West constituency, which is governor Ahmed Abdullahi’s backyard said the petitioner was ill informed, judgmentally biased, statistically dishonest and mathematically incoherent in his petition.
He said the KIEMS kits were used to identify voters across Wajir West constituency and allegations to the contrary are false. “In instances where the voters’ biometrics could not be deciphered, the IEBC had complimentary mechanisms to identify voters,” Hussein said.
“No voter was disenfranchised on account of malfunctioning KIEMS kits. In instances, where the voters’ biometrics could not be deciphered, the IEBC had complimentary mechanisms to identify voters.”
The duo appeared in court as witnesses for Governor Abdullahi following a petition filed by Dr Hassan Mohamed Adan who is challenging the governor’s win.
In his petition, Adan claims that the election process was marred with padding of votes, exaggeration of voter turnouts, irregular and unlawful assisted voting and unlawful ejection of his agents from several polling stations in Wajir East and Wajir West constituencies.
“It is not true that election results were inflated, padded or ballot boxes stuffed, those are wild allegations,” Hussein said.
“The allegations made by the petitioner are untrue, far-fetched and unfounded, as the votes declared by IEBC are accurate and verifiable.” Adan, has singled out Wajir West constituency and alleged that the turnout was disproportionately higher than the other constituencies.
He claims that Governor Abdullahi garnered more than 90 per cent of the votes cast at polling stations and impugns Abdullahi’s overall vote count at the constituency as ‘suspect votes.’
“The claims he has made impugning the turnout in Wajir West are self-serving and a distortion of the records. Wajir West is Governor Ahmed Abdullahi Jiir’s stronghold and home ground. It was expected that the voting block would consolidate behind him,” Hussein said.
According to him, Adan has not alleged any wrongdoing as against the turnout in Tarbaj constituency (his stronghold), where he garnered more votes than Governor Abdullahi.
“He (Adan) garnered more than 90 per cent of the votes cast at select polling stations, which are conceived to be his ‘strongholds’ in the rural areas of Wajir East and Tarbaj constituency. However, he has a problem with Wajir West voter turnout that stood at 74.49 per cent,” Dahiye said.
On the clan dynamics, he told court that of the 12 Degodia sub-clans, 11 had unanimously endorsed Governor Ahmed Abdullahi. Dahiye said only the Fai sub-clan, to which the petitioner belongs, were indecisive.
He said this was due to fact that four of them were running for the office of the governor (Ugas Mohamed, Mohamed Elmi, Dr Hassan Adan, and Mohamed Abdi Mohamud).
Dahiye also told the court that Governor Ahmed Abdullahi Jiir had the goodwill and support from all the residents of Wajir county irrespective of their clan affiliations.
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