Tribunal Continues With Ashiru’s Petition, As Uba Sani Seeks Dismissal Of Case . . . More Witnesses Emerge At Tribunal

FROM Lateef Taiwo , KADUNA

Justice Victor Oviawe’s led panel of the tribunal handling the petition marked EPT/KD/Gov/4/23 between Hon. Isa Ashiru, his party; PDP, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Governor Uba Sani of Kaduna state and his party; APC, has continued with the petition, despite the applicaton for the dismissal of the case by the Uba Sani’s lead counsel, Bayo Ojo (SAN)

Meanwhile, the petitioners, Hon.

According to the witnesses who adopted their depositions as their evidences before the court testified that there was over voting in their respective polling units, adding that election results were never announced at their polling units.

One of the witnesses, Bawa Joshua of Agric Quarters Kakau polling unit in Chikun Local Government Area of the state, during the cross examination exercise testified before the court that after over voting was discovered, no result was uploaded on the Irev at his polling unit.

” The process of the election was smooth and peaceful, but due to over voting, the election result was not announced at the polling unit,” another witness; Musa Yakubu who gave evidence in chief told the tribunal.

Though, the counsel to the 3rd respondent (APC), Abdul Moh’d (SAN) objected to the claims of one of the witnesses (Bawa Joshua) and argued that according to the information available to him, the result of the Agric Quarters Kakau polling unit was uploaded on the INEC’s Irev.

Also, Daniel Ishaya of polling unit 020; Sabon-Gari ward of Chikun LGA told the court that election never took place in the said polling unit, just as he further testified that no electoral officer or party officials were sighted at his polling unit during the day of the election.

At the resumed hearing of the petition on Monday, Bayo Ojo (SAN) who is the counsel to the 2nd respondent, Governor Uba Sani has challenged the competency of the petition and also the jurisdiction of the tribunal.

Uba Sani, through his counsel, in his application dated 23 of July, 2023 and filed the same day argued that the petition of Isa Ashiru and his party should be strike out on the ground that the petition has been abandoned, and therefore, the case should be terminated.

Bayo Ojo who was the former Attorney General of the Federation, while urging the tribunal to strike out the petition, further explained that his client’s application seeking the dismissal was supported with four paragraph affidavitis.

In his counter, the lead counsel to the petitioners, Oluwole Iyamu who also cited several authorities to back his arguments urged the tribunal to decline the application seeking dismissal of Ashiru and PDP’s petition.

Upon the arguments of all counsels, the ruling on the competency of the petition has been reserved, and the case has been adjourned to Tuesday; 1st of August, 2023 for the continuation on the hearing of the petition.