PDP Rejects Kebbi Gov Tribunal Judgment, Heads to Appeal Court

Onuminya Innocent in Sokoto

The Kebbi State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)  says it has  rejected the judgment of the Governorship Election Petitions Tribunal affirming the election of Governor  Nasiru Idris of the All Progressives Congress (APC), saying it would seek legal redress at the Court of Appeal.

Briefing journalists in Birnin Kebbi,. the petitioners and counsels in the Kebbi State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal have expressed their dissatisfaction in the way and manner the panel of judges of the tribunal arrived at their judgement on 5th of October in favour of the APC candidates, Governor Nasiru Idris and his Deputy Abubakar Umar.

One of the petitioner’s counsels, Barrister Nura Bello said they were not only dissatisfied but dismayed by the way and manners the tribunal affirmed the  election of Governor Nasiru Idris despite all the evidences and documents tendered before it.

“Considering the evidences presented before the tribunal by the petitioners,every discerning minds that are interested in justice were surprised and alarmed by the way and manner judgement was delivered on the Governorship Election in kebbi State by the panel of judges that sat over the tribunal.

“In particular, in respect of PW 27, the principal of the college that came to testify against the deputy governor, PW 28, the director from Sokoto State Ministry for Basic and Secondary Schools and PW 85, the INEC official from Abuja who came to tender the testimonial submitted by 3rd respondent in INEC forms which the petitioners are allegged it was forged”, he said.

He further said despite the fact that these evidences, with 15 documents and 4 disclaimers are there before the tribunal against the 3rd respondents from the school and ministry of education in Sokoto, the tribunal closed its eyes to all the evidences and dismissed the petition.

“Whereas the tribunal only relied on mere judgement of the presidential election petition tribunal where it said all subpoena witnesses have to attach their statement on oath alongside the petition.

“Despite that we had attached supreme court judgement that says subpoena witnesses need not to attach any statement on oath and cited the case of Uzodinma and Iheodoha but the tribunal closed its eyes and entered its judgement by dismissing the petition”, the counsel said.

He added that because they and the petitioners are not satisfied with the judgement, the petitioners had instructed them to appeal against the ruling of the tribunal. “The petitioners in that case are not satisfied and we are also not satisfied with the pronouncement of the tribunal.

“By the provisions of the constitution, the appellant has 21 days within which to appeal the judgement of the tribunal. All our energy is now geared towards appealing that judgement”, he said.

While countering the plea by the APC led government in Kebbi State that the petitioners should accept the tribunal judgement in good faith and should not go to appeal court, Barrister Bello said “Why are they afraid of appeal. If they say the judgement was concrete and based on law they shouldn’t be disturbed. It’s good to test the law at the appeal court. I don’t think the petitioners will listen to them and we lawyers will not heed to that kind of call.

“Besides, the right to appeal is a constitutional right and the appellants wants to exercise their constitutional right. When we have good case, evidences and some silent issues of law but the tribunal closes its eyes to them and did what it think was right.  I think the right thing to do is to go to the appeal court to test the law to develop our electoral jurisprudence”, the petitioners counsel said.