The Nasarawa State Governorship Election Petitions Tribunal has accepted additional documents as evidence challenging the win of the current Governor, Abdullahi Sule, in the 2023 gubernatorial election within the state.
Dr. David Ombugadu, the governorship aspirant from the People’s Democratic Party and the petitioner in this case, initiated legal proceedings against Governor Sule of the All Progressives Congress.
This action followed the declaration of Governor Sule as the victor by the Independent National Electoral Commission in the election.
At the continuation of the hearing on Wednesday in Lafia, INEC produced additional documents through its representative pursuant to the subpoena issued by the tribunal and served on INEC upon the application of Counsel to the petitioner, Jibrin Samuel Okutekpa, SAN.
The INEC representative, a Deputy Director of Software and Training, Ama Ibom Agwu, who appeared as PW20, representing the Director of ICT, INEC Headquarters Abuja, told the Tribunal that they produced a certificate of compliance, forms EC8A, iREV copy report, forms EC8A for LGEA primary school Kurikyo, Bakin Rijiya polling units in Lafia Local Government Area of the state.
Earlier, Okutekpa told the tribunal that the presentation of the key documents by the INEC Director of ICT was necessary because INEC was responsible for conducting the governorship election in the state.
He further appealed to the tribunal to allow him present one final star witness who is already prepared to testify, adding that the presentation of the star witness will mark the formal closure of PDP’s case at the tribunal.
On their parts, the respondent’s Counsels, Adebayo Adelodu, SAN, for Governor Sule; Ishaka Dikko, SAN for INEC; and Rotimi Ogunwoso, SAN for APC, all informed the tribunal that they would respond properly in their final written addresses.
After listening to the INEC representative and all the Counsels, the Chairman of the tribunal, Justice Ezekiel Ajayi, admitted all the documents presented at the tribunal, marked them as exhibits and adjourned the continuation of the hearing of the matter till August 17, 2023 which is today, Thursday.
