Nasarawa: More election irregularities emerge at governorship election tribunal
As Nasarawa State governorship Election Petition Tribunal holding in Lafia resumed sitting for the continuation for hearing of a petition filed by the main opposition Peoples Democratic Party, PDP and its governorship candidate, David Ombugadu challenging the unlawful declaration of Governor Abdullahi Sule by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC as Governor, more witnesses are unravelled the irregularities of the election umpire in conducting free, fair and credible polls.
Last sitting on the Governorship Election Petition Tribunal held in Lafia was on 15th July, 2023 where the Counsel of the Petitioner led by the Senior Advocate of Nigeria, J.S Okutepa (SAN) dwelt on tendering of sensitive certified documents comprises of Form EC8A, EC8B, EC8C, CTC BVAS Machines Print out and IRev CTC Print out among others via subpoena witnesses from State and National INEC Staff.
Details of the proceedings.
First, preliminary formalities were done and all counsel affirmed readiness for the business of the day, therefore, the Petitioner led counsel, J.S Okutepa SAN seek for two hours stand down to allow the documents produced tendered and testified by INEC Subpoena on 15/07/2023 be paginated…”if my Lord will direct that, the exhibits tendered by subpoena as listed on the schedule of documents filed on the 15/7/2023 for ease of reference by counsel and cross Examinations respectively”. No objections from the Respondents Counsel so, the Lord Judges granted the order as plead. Hence, the documents were numbered from exhibit Sub-39 to 181 at the Court Registry in the presence of counsel representative. On resumption of sitting after the stand down break, J.S Okutepa SAN applied for the adoption of the list of schedule and was equally adopted by the respondents experts.
Afterwards, J.S Okutepa SAN recalled the Sub-PW6 (Staff, Nasarawa State INEC Headquarters) who was subpoenaed on 14/07/2023 and couldn’t produced and tendered required documents to do so as promised. Thus, he produced; Form EC8A code 001 of Azara Electoral Ward, Awe LGA, Form EC8A code 010 of Ihakpe ‘B’ of Shege Electoral Ward Toto LGA, 67 pages of CTC copy of Voter Register of Uga Primary School code 011in Ashige Electoral Ward, Lafia LGA. Others include; CTC copies of Voter Register of Ciroma Electoral Ward Lafia LGA codes: 002, 004, 016, 017, 037, 038, 042, 043, 049, 064, 070, 078, 085, 086, 087, 090, 092, 100, 101 total 711 pages and the original receipts of payments (N11, 220) for the certification of the documents subpoenaed. Finally the INEC Staff was asked, “where are the other items number 1, 3, 4 & 6 as order in the subpoena letter”?. He said, we are still searching for them and will be ready on or before Wednesday 2/8/2023.
As the court time permitted, the Petitioner counsel proceeded to calling of witnesses on oath and was able to call three (3) before the closure of the business of the day. The Polling Unit Agent of Alwazan-Mada code 009 of Sabon-Gari Electoral Ward and the Ward Collation Agent of Sabon-Gari Electoral Ward Doma LGA took the lead in that order and adopted their witness dispositions and were further cross Examined on the controversial claimed of over voting tendency by the APC that led to the refusal of the Ward Collation Officer to entered the aforementioned PU Form EC8A (results) into Form EC8B (Ward Collation Results).
Thereafter, the Ashige Electoral Ward, Lafia LGA was called in respect of the same claimed of over voting in one Polling Unit out of the 36 Polling Units that led to the cancellation of the whole Ward results as against the 2022 Electoral Act. In the same vein, he was also subjected to a cross Examinations by the respondents counsel.
J.S Okutepa SAN said, “we shall meet with them at an appropriate time. Documents which were seemingly objected by the respondents counsel were still the documents they are using for cross Examinations”.
The Tribunal sitting was adjourned to today Wednesday 26th July, 2023 for continuation of hearing.
Records show that, results of State House of Assembly which was conducted same time, date and place from these areas were accepted, but that of the Governorship results were not accepted by the INEC Returning Officers of the affected areas.
