Mr Abdullahi Sule, Nasarawa State Governor.
Cecilia Onah, Lafia
The ongoing governorship election petitions tribunal in Nasarawa State has admitted four more witnesses against the incumbent Governor, Abdullahi Sule.
Dr. David Ombugadu who is the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party and petitioner in the case, dragged his major contender, governor Sule to court after the Independent National Electoral Commission declared him winner of the 2023 governorship election in the state.
At the hearing on Tuesday in Lafia, INEC produced additional documents through its representative in pursuant to the subpoena issued by the tribunal and served on INEC upon the application of the petitioners.
The documents produced were certified true copies of Polling Units results (forms EC8As) and voters register of identified polling units which were won by the Petitioners. The documents were all admitted in evidence and accordingly marked as exhibits.
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The Petitioner also called its Polling Unit Agent for Alwazan Polling Unit Code 009 as witness number 9. The witness in his testimony testified that elections were held in his Unit where PDP won and results were uploaded on INEC’s result viewing portal but they were not computed into the corresponding form EC8B for the Sabon Gari Ward of Doma Local Government Area.
The Petitioner’s ward collation Agent was also called as a witness in support of the case and he testified as the Petitioners’ witness number 10. In his testimony, he narrated to the tribunal that election results in the identified Polling Unit, Alwazan Mada Polling Unit Code 009 under his ward were not entered in the Form EC8B for the ward as mandated by law.
The Petitioner in proof of the case, called its Ashige Ward Collation Agent as witness number 11, who in his testimony narrated to the tribunal that elections were successfully held in 35 Polling Units in Ashige Ward where the Petitioner won.
The agent further testified that the entire results of the Ashige Ward was strangely and unjustifiably cancelled at the Lafia LGA Collation Centre and was not entered into the corresponding form EC8C as required by law thus unlawfully excluded in the Form EC8D in the total computation of votes for the declaration of result.
Our correspondent reports that all the witnesses identified the various electoral forms and materials already tendered in evidence which they referred to in their various witness depositions.
After listening to the four witnesses, the tribunal adjourned its sitting to Wednesday July 26, 2023 for continuation of hearing.
