Jadda, where Atiku was born has always been part of Nigeria, ex-ambassador tells tribunal

A retired Nigerian career ambassador, Magdiel Samaki, told the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal on Tuesday that Jadda in Adamawa State, where the Peoples Democratic Party’s presidential candidate in the February 23, 2019 election, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar was born, had always been part of Nigeria.

Samaki was testifying as the 41st petitioners’ witness in the petition instituted by Atiku and PDP to challenge the outcome of the poll.

Under cross-examination by the All Progressives Congress’ lawyer, Chief Akin Olujinmi (SAN), Samaki insisted that he was not aware that Jadda was ever part of Northern Cameroon.

Responding to a question of whether he was aware that before 1946, the entire Adamawa Province, where Jadda is located, was part of Northern Cameroon, he said, “To the best of my knowledge, Jadda was in Northern Nigeria, in Adamawa Province, even before 1946.”

He said he was not aware that prior to 1919, Cameroon, was being administered by Germany.

He also said he did not know when World War 1 ended, but he confirmed that the Allied Forces did defeat Germany in the war.

He said he was not aware of the plebiscite of 1961 which was organised to determine whether the British Cameroon people preferred to stay with Cameroon or with Nigeria.

He also said he was not aware that Northern Cameroon became part of Nigeria as a result of the 1961 plebiscite.

“I’m not aware that Nothern Nigeria was part of Northern Cameroon,” he said.

He confirmed that he was in secondary school in 1961.

When asked, he said, “How Northern Cameroon became part of Nigeria was not in our syllabus. I was not taught that.”

Under cross-examination by the Independent National Electoral Commission’s lawyer, Yunus Usman (SAN), the witness said he was not present when Atiku’s mother gave birth to him.