INEC Tenders 13 Documents At Nasarawa Guber Tribunal

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) yesterday tendered 13 documents before the Nasarawa State Governorship Election Tribunal sitting in Lafia, the state capital.

The commission had declared Governor Abdullahi Sule winner of the March 18 governorship election in the state.

However, the PDP and its governorship candidate, David Ombugadu, had approached the tribunal, alleging irregularities, amid insistence by the electoral umpire that Governor Sule won.

The tribunal, based on the request by the petitioners, had on July 10 subpoenaed INEC to produce certain documents relating to the conduct of the election in some local government areas.

Some of the documents were tendered by the affected officials of the commission at the resumed hearing on Thursday before the case was adjourned.

At the continuation of hearing yesterday, INEC officials also tendered additional documents requested by the lead counsel to PDP and Governorship candidate Emmanuel David Umbugadu, Jibrin Samuel Okutepa during the Tribunal’s sitting.

The documents tendered include certified true copy of forms EC8B for Azara Electoral Ward in Awe Local Government Area, House of Assembly for Ashige Electoral Ward in Lafia LGA, form EC8B for governorship of Ashige Electoral Ward which an INEC official, Muhammad Ibrahim Muhammad told the Tribunal that it was cancelled.

Others were forms EC8B for Abuni/Kanje Ward, Azara which only last page was tendered all in Awe Local Government Area, forms EC8B for Sabon Gari Electoral Ward in Doma LGA, Voter register and form EC8B of Kofar Magaji, Unguwar Makama Polling Unit of Nasarawa Eggon LGA as well as Voter Register and form EC8A of Ningo/Bohar Electoral Ward in Akwanga LGA where only form EC8A was tendered by the Prosecution.

The commission also tendered Certified True Copy of Voter Register for Alwaza Mada Polling Unit of Sabon Gari Electoral Ward in Doma LGA, Voter Register for House of Assembly with codes 005 and 022 for Ashige Electoral Ward in Lafia LGA, Voter Register for Chiroma Electoral Ward in Lafia LGA but only five out of 29 demanded by the Prosecution were available, namely, codes 054, 056, 066, 071 and 092.

Similarly, Certified True Copy of Voter Register for Polling Units 023, 035, 036 and 050 of Gayam Electoral Ward in Lafia LGA was tendered by the Prosecution.

In their separate submissions, counsels to the respondents which include INEC, APC and Governor Sule, Dr. Hassan Liman, Rotimi Adebayo SAN and, Ibrahim Ogah, objected to the tendering and admissibility of all the documents tendered by the prosecution counsel. 

They however said they would advance their reasons for the objection in their final written addresses.

When the Head of ICT, INEC, Nasarawa State Office, Godwin Udoh appeared on the order of the Tribunal to produce BVAS, he explained that the commission could not produce the machine because all the BVAS have been deactivated as detailed by the Headquarters of the electoral body.

The prosecution counsel, Okutepa, therefore prayed the Tribunal to grant INEC some days to enable it produce BVAS in subsequent sitting.

Ruling on the application, chairman of the tribunal, Justice Ezekiel Ajayi granted the prayer and adjourned sitting till Saturday, July 15, 2023.