Tribunal: Sule Closes Defence As Witnesses Expose Non-Collation Of APC’s Votes

Nasarawa State Governor, Abdullahi Sule, weekend, closed his defence in the ongoing petition instituted against his victory at the March 18, 2023 governorship election by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its gubernatorial candidate, David Ombugadu.

At the continuation of proceedings at the tribunal sitting in Lafia, Sule, through his counsel, Dr. Mubarak Adekilekun, after presenting seven additional witnesses, who testified on oath to the widespread non-collation of valid All Progressives Congress’ (APC) votes during the governorship election, applied to close his defence.

The witnesses, who came from Nasarawa, Kokona, Wamba and Toto Local Government Areas of the state, testified that both Sule and the APC were shortchanged with their votes improperly collated at various Ward and Local Government Collation Centres.

A witness, Adamu Ibrahim Otto, testified that the votes of his political party, the APC was reduced and the vote of the PDP increased at the point of entering the results on Form EC8B.

The witness confirmed that, the APC was shortchanged in three polling units: Apaku with Polling Unit Code 018, RW26, Andrew Wayo with Polling Unit Code 010, RW 27 and Odu/Kadu with Polling Unit Code 005, RW28, all in Kana/Onda/Apawu Ward Registration Area of Nasarawa Local Government Area.

According to Otto, APC scored 101 votes, PDP 14 at the Apaku Polling Unit, however results at the Kana/Onda/Apawu Ward Collation Centre showed that APC got 72 votes while PDP has 44.

Similarly, he said at RW27, APC scored 193 votes, with PDP having 32, but at the Ward Collation Centre, the result showed APC scored 115 votes, while PDP has 32.

He also testified that at RW28, APC scored 66 votes, while PDP got 42 but that results from the Ward Collation Centre showed APC scored 32 while PDP got 76.

While cross-examining the witness, lead counsel for the petitioners, Jibrin Samuel Okutekpab (SAN), sought to tender as evidence 14 Certified True Copies (CTCs) of Form EC8As as downloaded on iREV, including the two Polling Units testified by Adamu Ibrahim Otto, receipts of payments, certificate of compliance for the CTCs, all done by INEC officials, as well as one Form EG40(2).

However, counsel to the first, second and third respondents objected to the admissibility of the documents, with Mathew Burkah (SAN) for the first respondent, rejecting the documents emphasising that they were not downloaded from the iREV.

After listening to both counsel, Chairman of the tribunal, Justice Ezekiel Oyeyemi Ajayi, granted the prayers of the petitioners and marked the documents as evidence.

All the remaining witnesses: Usman Sani of Kotoko, Rabiu Musa from Katakpa, Haruna Muhammad from Kenyehu, Yohanna Faji from Toto, all in Toto LGA, while testifying on oath, exposed how the election was manipulated at the ward level in favour of the PDP.

Governor, Abdullahi Sule, weekend, closed his defence in the ongoing petition instituted against his victory at the March 18, 2023 governorship election by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its gubernatorial candidate, David Ombugadu.

At the continuation of proceedings at the tribunal sitting in Lafia, Sule, through his counsel, Dr. Mubarak Adekilekun, after presenting seven additional witnesses, who testified on oath to the widespread non-collation of valid All Progressives Congress’ (APC) votes during the governorship election, applied to close his defence.

The witnesses, who came from Nasarawa, Kokona, Wamba and Toto Local Government Areas of the state, testified that both Sule and the APC were shortchanged with their votes improperly collated at various Ward and Local Government Collation Centres.

A witness, Adamu Ibrahim Otto, testified that the votes of his political party, the APC was reduced and the vote of the PDP increased at the point of entering the results on Form EC8B.

The witness confirmed that, the APC was shortchanged in three polling units: Apaku with Polling Unit Code 018, RW26, Andrew Wayo with Polling Unit Code 010, RW 27 and Odu/Kadu with Polling Unit Code 005, RW28, all in Kana/Onda/Apawu Ward Registration Area of Nasarawa Local Government Area.

According to Otto, APC scored 101 votes, PDP 14 at the Apaku Polling Unit, however results at the Kana/Onda/Apawu Ward Collation Centre showed that APC got 72 votes while PDP has 44.

Similarly, he said at RW27, APC scored 193 votes, with PDP having 32, but at the Ward Collation Centre, the result showed APC scored 115 votes, while PDP has 32.

He also testified that at RW28, APC scored 66 votes, while PDP got 42 but that results from the Ward Collation Centre showed APC scored 32 while PDP got 76.

While cross-examining the witness, lead counsel for the petitioners, Jibrin Samuel Okutekpab (SAN), sought to tender as evidence 14 Certified True Copies (CTCs) of Form EC8As as downloaded on iREV, including the two Polling Units testified by Adamu Ibrahim Otto, receipts of payments, certificate of compliance for the CTCs, all done by INEC officials, as well as one Form EG40(2).

However, counsel to the first, second and third respondents objected to the admissibility of the documents, with Mathew Burkah (SAN) for the first respondent, rejecting the documents emphasising that they were not downloaded from the iREV.

After listening to both counsel, Chairman of the tribunal, Justice Ezekiel Oyeyemi Ajayi, granted the prayers of the petitioners and marked the documents as evidence.

All the remaining witnesses: Usman Sani of Kotoko, Rabiu Musa from Katakpa, Haruna Muhammad from Kenyehu, Yohanna Faji from Toto, all in Toto LGA, while testifying on oath, exposed how the election was manipulated at the ward level in favour of the PDP.