A damaging allegation has emerged from the legal battle over the just‑concluded Gwagwalada Area Council chairmanship election. The APC, which lost the poll to the PDP candidate, has filed a petition at the election tribunal alleging irregularities. But sources now claim that the party is actively recruiting people to commit perjury in exchange for cash and a motorcycle.
The alleged offer
According to multiple sources familiar with the matter:
· ₦5,000 – Paid to anyone who agrees to attend an “orientation” at an APC lawyer’s office in Gwagwalada.
· ₦500,000 – Promised after that orientation, as a reward for agreeing to enter the witness box.
· A Haojue Lucky Plus motorcycle – The final prize for actually taking the stand and giving false testimony against the PDP candidate.
The alleged false testimony would involve swearing to fabricated claims of electoral malpractices – ballot snatching, result manipulation, or violence – that the witness did not personally see.
Some approached have refused
Not everyone contacted has taken the offer. Several individuals reportedly declined to show up for the ₦5,000 orientation, stating they “cannot be part of a lie.” One source who refused to participate said:
“They want us to go to the tribunal and testify to things that never happened. Even if no one prosecutes us, it’s still a crime.”
The legal context
The Gwagwalada Area Council election was won by the PDP candidate. The APC subsequently approached the tribunal, as is their legal right, to challenge the result on grounds of irregularities.
However, the allegation now is that the APC is struggling to find credible eyewitnesses to support their case – and has resorted to incentivising false testimony.
Under Nigeria’s Criminal Code Act, perjury carries a penalty of up to 14 years imprisonment. Suborning perjury (inducing someone to lie under oath) is also a serious offence, and for a lawyer, a breach of professional ethics.
Responses
As at press time, the APC’s Gwagwalada chapter had not responded to requests for comment. The PDP candidate’s legal team declined to speak on the record.
The EFCC and the police have not announced any investigation into the allegation.
What happens next
If evidence of witness‑buying – such as audio, video, or bank records – emerges, the tribunal could dismiss the APC’s petition outright. Perjured testimony, if uncovered, can also lead to criminal prosecution.