Nasarawa Governorship Election Free, Fair, INEC Insists

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has insisted that the March 18 governorship election in Nasarawa State was free and fair.

The INEC commission’s head of ICT Department, Godwin Udoh Idiong who appeared before the Governorship Election Petition Tribunal yesterday in Lafia, while answering questions during cross examination by Chief Wale Olanikpekun SAN, Governor Abdullahi Sule’s counsel, said the conduct of the poll was in substantial compliance with the commission’s guidelines, electoral law and manuals.

At the resumed hearing of the case, the Petitioners’ Counsel, Jibrin Samuel Okutepa SAN informed the tribunal that the Godwin Udoh Idiong, who earlier testified before the tribunal during its sitting on July 14, 2023 told him he was  ready with the BVAS machines as demanded.

However, all the respondents’ counsels objected to the recall of the subpoenaed witness on the ground that the petitioners’ Counsel has not applied for such relief.

Mr Idiong told the tribunal that the commission was able to produce 207 printouts of BVAS machines and 207 BVAS machines for Ashige and Chiroma wards out of the 218 machines demanded by the tribunal.

Thereafter, the Petitioners’ Counsel, Jibrin Samuel Okutepa SAN sought to tender the documents produced by INEC as evidence in support of their case.

The INEC Counsel, Ibrahim Ogah, Chief Wale Olanipekun SAN for Governor Abdullahi Sule and Mathew Bukah SAN for APC all objected to the admissibility of the documents, adding that they reserved their reasons for written addresses.

Ruling on the Petitioners’ Counsel application, Chairman of the Tribunal, Justice Ezekiel Ajayi granted the prayer and marked the documents tendered as exhibits.

When asked why the INEC could not produce 218 BVAS machines and their printouts, he explained that out of 11 Polling Units, 3 units had no registered voters, while the other 8 BVAS were snatched away during election.

During cross examination, he said on the day of election the BVAS machines were operated by INEC Presiding Officers, adding that the BVAS ID were later sent to INEC headquarters in Abuja for reactivation.