Governorship Poll : Sule Closes Case At Election Petition Tribunal

By Babatunde Solanke

Nazarawa State Governor, Abdullahi Sule has closed his defense in a petition filed by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its gubernatorial candidate David Ombugadu in the March 18 governorship election in the state with last seven witnesses providing more proof that the APC’s scores were doctored.

The governor’s counsel, Doctor Mubarak Adekilekun made an application to that effect during sitting of the Governorship Election Petitions Tribunal in Lafia on Saturday.

Having called 21 witnesses that testified in support of his election before the Governorship Election Petition Tribunal, Governor Abdullahi Sule through his counsel, Dr Mubarak Adekilekun applied to close his defense.

In a swift reaction, INEC Lead Counsel Ishaka Muddie Dikko SAN, Mathews Burkah SAN for APC and the PDP Lead Counsel Jibrin Samuel Okutepa SAN did not object to the application.

Ruling on the application, Chairman of the Tribunal, Justice Ezekiel Ajayi granted the prayer of the Governor’s application.

Seven more witnesses have testified in support of Governor Abdullahi Sule, submitting that the votes of APC have been shortchanged during collation in their various wards.

The witnesses are, Adamu Ibrahim Ottos from Nasarawa LGA, Ibrahim Musa Mbada, Wamba, Ayuba Osu Obla, Agwada, Kokona LGA, Usman Sani, a resident of Kotoko in Shege Electoral Ward, Rabiu Musa, from Katakpa, Haruna Muhammad, from Kenyehu and Yohanna Faji all from Toto LGA.

All the respondent’s witnesses in their various testimonies, affirmed that INEC Presiding Officers used BVAS machines to authenticate voters and uploaded the results to iReV, complained that the votes of their party, APC have been shortchanged during entering at the Ward Collation levels. However, PDP Lead Counsel Jibrin Samuel Okutepa SAN sought to tender CTC of form EC8 A for Kotoko Polling Unit, 004, an application that was objected to by all the respondents’ counsel, with Matthew Burkah SAN for APC confirming that the said document contained in it fresh writing no signature and name of the INEC Presiding Officer