Seven more witnesses have provided proofs of alleged depletion of votes recorded by the Nasarawa State Governor, Abdullahi Sule during the March 18 governorship election in the state at the election petition tribunal on Saturday.
The governor’s counsel, Dr Mubarak Adekileku, also closed his defense in the petition filed by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its gubernatorial candidate, Mr David Ombugadu, during the continuation of the case in Lafia.
The seven witnesses that testified were drawn from Wamba, Toto, Nassarawa and Kokona local government areas of the state.
They include Adamu Ibrahim Ottos from Nasarawa LGA, Ibrahim Musa Mbada, Wamba, Ayuba Osu Obla, Agwada, Kokona LGA, Usman Sani, a resident of Kotoko in Shege Electoral Ward, Rabiu Musa, from Katakpa, Haruna Muhammad, from Kenyehu and Yohanna Faji all from Toto LGA.
They all alleged that votes cast in favour of the All Progressives Congress (APC) during the governorship election were reduced at the wards collations in order to give PDP an edge.
After their testimonies, PDP lead counsel, Jibrin Samuel Okutepa (SAN) sought to tender CTC of form EC8 A for Kotoko Polling Unit, 004 , but his application was objected to by all the respondents’ counsel, with Mathew Burkah SAN for APC, saying the said document contained in it fresh writing with no signature and name of the INEC Presiding Officer.
However, Chairman of the Tribunal, Justice Ezekiel Ajayi granted the application and marked the document as exhibit.
Governor Sule’s counsel afterwards applied to close his defense an application counsels to INEC, Ishaka Mudi Dikko (SAN); that of APC, Mathew Burkah (SAN), and the PDP Jibrin Samuel Okutepa (SAN) did not object to the application.
Chairman of the tribunal, Justice Ezekiel Ajayi, granted the prayer and adjourned the case to Wednesday to Thursday next week when APC is expected to open its defense.
