Hon Jonathan Dabo, Vs Haruna Maitala: 20 Witness Decry Of Irregularities, Malfunction Of Card Readers

Yakubu Wuyep

 

The National and State Trial Tribunal sitting on a suit filed by Hon Jonathan Dabo of the People Democratic Party, PDP, against Hon Alh Haruna Maitala of the All Progressives Congress, APC, for  North /Bassa Federal Constituency has been adjourned to the 30th July 2019 for the continuation of hearing.

 

Counsel to Jonathan Dabo, Barr Sunday Oyawole has tendered additional 48 fresh duplicates of true certified copies of form EC8A of Tudun Wada, Kabong, Angwan Jumaa, and result sheets of polling units all of Jos North LGA respectively.

 

The petitioners’ counsel told the trial Tribunal that they have some duplicates of original result to tender as exhibits but the counsel to the 1& 2nd respondents and  3rd earlier rejected the admissibility of the said documents, saying that they are seeing those documents for the very first time.

 

However, the petitioners’ counsel explained further that these set of documents are front-loaded in compliance with the electoral act 2010 amended and has not gone out the practice.

 

The respondent’s counsel M.S Salisu told the trial Tribunal that he objected the admissibility of the said documents sought to be tender, My lord, this duplicates are not CTC of the duplicate of the original results.

 

In her ruling, the Tribunal Chairman overruled the objections raised by the respondent’s counsel that the trial Tribunal is time bounce so rejecting the petitioners’ documents is leading the Tribunal to a miscarriage of justice.

 

The counsel to respondents agreed to allow the petitioners tender all his documents but they would object during the final written address for the smooth business of hearing to continue without hitches.

 

They said the petitioners can fall back on the provision of paragraph 1sub 3 of the electoral act and tender his documents through the witness under cross-examination in chief. In furtherance to the prehearing session reports dated 17-06-2019 which has not been modified.

 

Job Kpbado who lives at Rukuba road and a polling unit agent on his cross-examination box said there were alterations, irregularities and over voting during the election at his polling unit.

 

He said most of the result sheets given to us as agents of all the political parties that participated in the election especially EC8As 1&2 are full of omission.

 

According to him, the duplicates of result issue them was transmitted to their party headquarters so he is not in custody of any and therefore, he asked the INEC staff to confirm some of the observation raised by the respondent’s counsel.

 

Job identified his affidavit statement on oath and adopted it as part of his argument, under exhibit P20 were there is the absence of INEC stamp, he said I am not the maker of the documents INEC should be responsible for the said documents.

 

The PW20 told the trial Tribunal that there are two result sheets one for my polling unit which contain 5 political parties that participated in the election in my unit.

 

The presiding officer entered all the scores for each of the party that participated in the election when sought to know whether he was trained for the exercise by his party PDP, he said yes.

 

At Albarcans Main polling unit that was transmitted to GSS Tudun Wada which brought problem and delay in the voting where people rejected that they are used to the area.

 

One Monday Mwa Akpam speaks on commotion within the premises of Albarcans were chaos broke up .we understand that there is over-voting, alterations, and irregularities in the conduct of the election.

 

At least no fewer than 20 witnesses have been taken since the adoption of the prehearing session by counsels as some said the card readers’ malfunction and none entrance of results to PDP in most of their polling units and voting points.