Nasarawa Guber Tribunal Admits INEC’s Documents

Igbawase Ukumba in Lafia

The Nasarawa State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal yesterday admitted documents tendered by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as requested by counsel to the petitioners.

The three-man panel of justices led by Justice Ezekiel Ajayi admitted the document during hearing on a petition filed by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its governorship candidate, David Mbugadu, against Governor Abdullahi Sule, the All Progressives Congress (APC) and  INEC.

The matter before the Governorship Election Petition Tribunal, which resumed hearing had counsel to the petitioners seeking  a stand down to enable him peruse through a document brought to them by INEC, a motion that was not objected by all counsels to the respondents.

The three-man panel of justices gave a two hours stand down as requested by the petitioners.

However, on resumption, the petitioners’ counsel, Jubril Samuel Okutepa, urged the two INEC staff, the Director of ICT and Head Of Department of Operations who were issued a subpoena on July 10, 2023 to provide certified copies of BVAS used at the governorship election as well as Certificate of Compliance.

But all respondents’ counsels objected to some of the documents sought to be tendered before the tribunal by the petitioners’ counsel.

The tribunal chairman, Justice  Ajayi, however, explained that in order to save time, the respondents should reserve their objections till the final written addresses.

After tendering the documents before the tribunal, counsel to the petitioners Okutepa (SAN) sought for adjournment

On its ruling, the tribunal  adjourned the matter to July 14, 2023 for continuation of hearing.