Kaduna Guber: INEC Presents Documents from Nine LGAs to Tribunal

John Shiklam in Kaduna

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) yesterday  presented forms EC8A, EC8B, and EC8C from various polling units, wards, in nine Local Government Areas (LGAs) to the Kaduna Governorship Election Petition Tribunal.

The tribunal chaired by Justice Victor Oviawe, had earlier ordered INEC to bring before it, original copies of the said documents from the 23 LGAs of the state.

The forms submitted  were those of Birnin-Gwari, Igabi, Kaduna North, Kubau, Lere, Sabon-Gari, Zaria, and Kudan LGAs.

The petitioners,  Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its governorship candidate in the 2023 elections, Isa Ashiru, had in an application requested for the forms. The lead counsel to petitioners Oluwole Iyamu, SAN, challenged the authenticity of the results from 11 polling units in Birnin-Gwari, 20 in Igabi, 4 in Kaduna North, 44 in Kaduna South, 12 in Kubau, 9 in Lere, 8 in Sabon-Gari, 4 in Zaria and 5 in Kudan LGAs.

He argued that some of the documents presented by INEC were not original copies as requested.

He also prayed the tribunal to allow the original copies of the documents to remain in its custody, pending the appearances of witnesses.

He said it is for the witnesses to identify some discrepancies between original, certified copies and duplicates that were issued during the election.

However, counsel to INEC, Abdullahi Aliyu, SAN, objected to the request, arguing that allowing the original documents to remain under the custody of the tribunal for more than 24 hours, would amount to a breach of the law as provided by the electoral act.

Also counsel to the second 2nd (Governor Uba Sani) and 3rd (the All Progressives Congress-APC), in their submissions, maintained that since the documents requested to be presented at the court by the INEC was a public document, there was need for all parties involved to have the certified copies before they are presented to the court.

They also objected to the admissibility of some of the exhibits presented to the tribunal by PDP and Ashiru in nine wards in Giwa and Lere LGAs.

In an interview with journalists shortly after the court proceedings, counsel to Governor Sani, Chief Duro Adeyele, said their prayers is for the petition to be dismissed.

“Our ultimate prayer is that the petition be dismissed, and that is what we are here for. The reason for that is what we are going to present in our defense, and that is not for the press,” he said.

The matter was adjourned till 12th July, 2023, for continuation of cross-examination of INEC witness.