Wajir election petition: Witnesses defend Governor Abdullahi's victory

Witnesses testifying in favour of Wajir Governor Ahmed Abdullahi in a petition challenging his election victory on Thursday told the court that the elections in Wajir were free, fair and transparent.

Yahya Dahiye and Ahmed Hussein dismissed claims that the Wajir gubernatorial race was  marred with election malpractices saying the polls were conducted in strict adherence to the law.

Dahiye, who was the chief agent of the governor, said voting was conducted at all the polling stations across the six constituencies saying 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. The Tallying at the Constituency Tallying Centre was equally above-board,” said Dahiye in response to a question by Governor Abdullahi’s lawyer Omwanza Ombati.

Dahiye, who is also the governor’s chief of staff, added: “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,  pointed out that the petitioner was “ill informed, judgmentally biased, statistically dishonest and mathematically incoherent” in his petition.

He said that it is not true that voters were not identified through the KIEMS kits and that the KIEMS kits were used to identify voters across Wajir West constituency.

“In instances where the voters’ biometrics could not be deciphered, the IEBC had complimentary mechanisms to identify voters,” explained Hussein.

He added: “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 Abdulahi following a petition filed by Dr. Hassan Mohamed Adam who is challenging the governor’s win.

In his petition, Adam 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 elections results were inflated or padded or even ballot boxes being stuffed, they are wild allegations,” said Adam

“The allegations made by the petitioner are untrue, far-fetched and unfounded, as the voters declared by IEBC are accurate and verifiable,” he added.

Adam, has singled out Wajir West constituency and alleged that the turnout was “disproportionately higher” than the other constituencies.

He claims that governor Abdullahi Jiir garnered more than 90 percent of the votes cast at polling stations and impugns that the governor’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 and it was expected that the voting block would be consolidate behind him,” he said.

According to him, Adam has not alleged any wrongdoing as against the turnout in Tarbaj Constituency strong hold where he garnered more votes than the Governor Abdullahi

“He (Adam) garnered more than 90 percent  of the votes cast at select at polling stations which are conceived to be his ‘strongholds’ in the rural areas of Wajir East constituency and in Tarbaj Constituency but has a problem with Wajir West voter turnout that stood at 74.49 percent,” asserted Dahiye.

On the clan dynamics, he told court that of the 12 Degodia sub-clans, 11 had unanimously endorsed Governor Ahmed Abdullahi Jiir, and only the Fai sub-clan to which the petitioner belongs were indecisive due to fact that 4 of them were running for the office of the governor (Ugas Mohamed, Mohamed Elmi, Dr Hassan Adan, and Mohamed Abdi Mohamud). 

Further, he 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.