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Nath Emberga, Lafia
Hearing of the Petition filed by Dr. David Emmanuel Ombugadu and the PDP against the APC, Gov. Abdulahi Sule and the independent National electoral commission(INEC) continued on Tuesday, before the Nasarawa Governorship Election petition Tribunal sitting in Lafia.
At the resumed hearing, INEC produced additional documents through their representative in pursuant to the subpoena issued by the Tribunal and served on INEC upon the application of the Petitioners.
The documents produced were certified true copies of Polling Units results (forms EC8As) and voters register of identified polling units. The documents were all admitted in evidence and accordingly marked as Exhibits.
The Petitioners also called their Polling Unit Agent for Alwazan Polling Unit Code 009 as their witness no. 9. The witness testified that election was held in his Unit where PDP won and results uploaded on IReV but it was not computed into the corresponding form EC8B for the Sabon Gari Ward of Doma LGA.
The Petitioners’ ward collation Agent was also called as a witness in support of the Petitioners case and he testified as the Petitioners’ witness no. 10. In his testimony, he narrated to the Tribunal that election result in the identified Polling Unit Alwazan Mada Polling Unit Code 009 under his ward was not entered in the Form EC8B (ward summary) for the ward as mandated by law.
The Petitioners in further proof of their case called their Ashige Ward Collation Agent as the Petitioners’ witness no. 11 who in his testimony narrated to the Tribunal that elections were successfully held in 35 Polling Units (PU) in Ashige Ward where the Petitioners won and the results were collated and entered in the Form EC8B as required by law.
In his further testimony he said the entire result of the Ashige Ward (35 Polling Units) was strangely and unjustifiably cancelled at the LGA Collation Centre and was not entered into the corresponding form EC8C for Lafia LGA as required by law thus unlawfully excluded in the Form EC8D in the total computation of votes for the declaration of result.
All the Petitioners’ witnesses identified the various electoral forms and materials already tendered in evidence which they referred to in their various witness depositions.
After listening to 4 witnesses for the day, the chairman of the three-man Governorship Election Petition Panel, Ezekiel Ajayi, adjourned the Tribunal sitting to Wednesday 26th July, 2023 for the continuation of hearing.