Kalshingi H Jedidah
All Progressive Congress (APC) in Gombe has yesterday presented five witnesses before the Governorship Election Tribunal sitting in Gombe.
The Tribunal which is currently presiding over a court suit involving the APC’s gubernatorial candidate Alh Inuwa Yahaya and Gombe state governor Alh Ibrahim Hassan Dankwambo of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) had during resumed hearing session began hearing the of the Witnesses presented by the APC.
The five witnesses who appeared before the Tribunal to testify about the April 11 election, adopted their written statements and were cross-examined by Counsel to the first second and third respondents.
During cross-examination, the State secretary of the all Progressives Congress APC, Sallau Pindiga claimed that based on the result sheets he obtained from party agents across the state; there were discrepancies in some polling units.
He said “Being the state Secretary of the APC, I was privileged to get the duplicate copies of the results they got from the various polling units and it was such records I got from them that formed part of my written statement”.
The other witness who testified also informed the tribunal that they stood by their written statements. Commenting on the day’s proceeding, Counsel to the Petitioner, Ayoola Ajayi stated that it was an interesting session and in a couple of days, they would be through with presentation of their witnesses.
“It is better to take them little by little, the tribunal will have the time to appreciate their evidence until we get to the root of the matter as well as get justice in this case,” Ajayi stated.
Meanwhile, Counsel to Governor Dankwambo, Ibrahim Isiyaku SAN stated that there was still a long way to go as the primary witnesses were yet to appear.
“We are still on the peripheral because even the witnesses we heard today were witnesses that were relating what they are supposed to be the primary witnesses. Perhaps we might start hearing the primary witness after they might have closed with this set of witnesses. Every lawyer has his own style,” he added.
Counsel to the Independent National Electoral Commission, Yahaya Dagana also said the session was an interesting one.
The APC’s gubernatorial candidate and his party had earlier submitted petition before the tribunal challenging outcome of the 2015 gubernatorial election conducted by the Independent National Electoral Commission which declared Governor Dankwambo as winner. The APC’s candidate claimed that, the last governorship election conducted in the state was full of irregularities.
