- Kano State election tribunal reserves judgment on APC’s petition challenging Governor Abba Yusuf’s victory due to alleged fraud
- The tribunal’s chairman assures fairness, with the judgment date to be communicated after adopting final written addresses
The Kano State election petition tribunal reserved judgment on Monday in a petition challenging Governor Abba Yusuf’s victory in the state’s governorship election on March 18.
The All Progressives Congress (APC) and its candidate, Yusuf Gawuna, are contesting the election results due to alleged fraud by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) during the voting process.
The petition named the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Kabir-Yusuf, and the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) as respondents.
The three-member panel, led by Justice Oluyemi Akintan-Osadebe, stated that the date for the judgment would be communicated to the parties once their final written addresses were adopted.
She said:
I am honoured and privileged that this is my first assignment as the chairman of a tribunal and I prayed to God to guide me to uphold the integrity of my job.
We will be fair. Please be rest assured that we will read what the law says and we will read it to the best of our knowledge.
In his final written addresses dated July 31, August 6, 7, and 8, and read at Monday’s proceeding, the APC counsel, Offiong Offiong (SAN), said:
We urge the court to adopt our written addresses as our argument and urge the tribunal to uphold our petition and grant our reliefs.
The second respondent brought two membership registers before and after the election. The membership number is inconsistent.
It shows that the second respondent is not a member of NNPP before the election, he became a member after the election.
All the ballot papers used in some local government areas were not signed, stamped, and dated.
On his part, the INEC counsel, Emmanuel Osayomi, urged the tribunal to dismiss the petition for lack of evidence.
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