Wada Asks Tribunal to Declare Him Winner of Kogi Governorship Election

Tobi Soniyi in Abuja

Former Kogi State Governor, Capt. Idris Wada, opened his case at the state election Tribunal insisting through his witness, Mr. Joe Agada, that he won the election with a total score of 204, 877 votes against 6,885 scored by Governor Yahaya Bello of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

The witness who was led in evidence by Wada’s counsel, Chief Chris Uche (SAN), said that Bello could not inherit the votes scored by late Audu Abubakar.

He argued that Audu scored 240, 867 in the November 21 governorship election but died at 7:45am on November 22, 2015 before the election was concluded.

The witness further stated that the APC had no valid candidate for the supplementary election because at the time Bello replaced Audu, the statutory time allowed for substitution had elapsed.

Giving a breakdown of the total votes cast and scored by the APC and the PDP in the disputed governorship election, the witness stated that the PDP polled a total of 204, 877 votes, while the APC’s substituted candidate had only 6, 885 votes.

He maintained under cross examination by counsel to the respondents that by statute, the votes cast for late Abubakar Audu remained void.

Agada further argued that Bello did not participate in the November 21 governorship election as he did not have a Permanent Voters Card (PVC).

He told the tribunal that as at the time the election was declared inconclusive by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) none of the candidate won the election.

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