Kebbi Guber:  Classmate Testifies against Deputy Governor

An old classmate of the Deputy Governor of Kebbi State, Mr. Abubakar Umar Tafida, during their school days at Sultan Abubakar College Sokoto, Mr. Aminula Umar, has testified against him before the governorship election tribunal sitting in Birnin Kebbi, Kebbi State.

While being cross examined at the tribunal by the respondent’s and petitioner’s counsels, the classmate said that he and the deputy governor did not sit for examination in the school in 1979 because they were expelled.

Aminula was called as witness as the deputy governor was closing his defence at the tribunal against the petition filed by the PDP’s Governorship Candidate,  Major General Aminu Bande (rtd), challenging the victory of the APC’s Governorship Candidate, Mr. Nasiru Idris and his Deputy Umar Abubakar Tafida.

 Bande, in his petition has joined Governor Nasiru Idris, his Deputy, Umar Abubakar Tafida, INEC and APC in the suit before the tribunal.

Governor Idris of the APC, first respondent in the case filed by the PDP governorship candidate closed his defence without a witness but presented eight documents to the tribunal.

While cross examining the deputy governor’s classmate, lead counsel to the petitioner, Mr. Ibrahim K. Bawa (SAN) argued that in one breath the classmate said he and the third respondent did not write But in his statement on oath he deposed that he and the third respondent completed their secondary education at Sultan Abubakar College in Sokoto and that the third respondent was not expelled.

He asked the deputy governor’s witness to choose what he wants the tribunal to believe: whether on the statement he made on oath or documents indicating they both graduated in 1979 and another document and testimony saying he and the deputy governor were expelled from the school, but the witness maintained that he wanted the tribunal to accept that he and the third respondent were not expelled and that they graduated in 1979 from the school.

In his defence, the third respondent who is the Deputy Governor of Kebbi State, Abubakar  Umar Tafida,  subpoened two officials from Sokoto State Ministry of Basic and Secondary School’s Education to tender documents and also testified at the tribunal.

The first witness who identified himself as Director Examination, Mr. Mustapha Idris Musa, represented the Permanent Secretary of the State Ministry of Basic and Secondary Schools, said: “I am here to tender documents only and not to testify.”

After tendering the documents, counsel to the 3rd respondant, K. K Elijah (SAN) asked the tribunal to discharge him.

The second witness who was a sole administrator of the school confirmed to the tribunal that he certified the contentious testimonial of the deputy governor having sat for mock examination in the school in1979. He also tendered a broad sheet containing names of students who registered and sat for mock examination in the school in the said year.