Yakubu Busari
Tension rising at the continuation of cross-examination of the Petitioners witnesses in Plateau state Governorship Election Tribunal on the 2nd of July, 2019.
It was gathered that since the commencement of Governorship election sitting in Jos the Plateau state capital a lot of drama has continued to beam its searchlight on how the panels of judges are confronted with the proceedings but, a total of no fewer than 17 witnesses were cross-examined.
However, Hon Edward Gyang Pwajok SAN, Mr. Benson Esq, Chief Sunday Odey Esq & other notable Lawyers are standing in for the Petitioners, Sen JT Useini & the PDP while Mike Ozekhome was said to be attending to pressing issues.
This medium gathered that more revelations are beginning to unfold itself at the ongoing governorship tribunal sitting in Jos, the plateau state capital on how the ruling All Progressive Congress (APC) mutilated and inflated figures in 2019 governorship election.
Alh Rabiu Ismail a businessman who was testifying before the three-man governorship tribunal disclosed that, he is an agent of the People Democratic Party (PDP) in 2019 governorship election in Wase local government Area of Plateau state.
Rabiu who earlier adopted his written witness statement of 13th April 2019 said in paragraph (3) of his witness statement that in his polling unit where he was an agent, APC score 210 votes and it was inflated to 356 votes by the APC agents.
On his cross-examination by the counsel to APC, Garba Pwull on why he agreed to sign the result sheet having discovered the discrepancies, he Rabiu said: “when I signed the result sheet they have not Changed the result, they changed the result after I have signed the result sheet”.
On what happened to the result which figure was inflated, Rabiu said he submmited it to the presiding officer.
“I submitted the change result to the presiding officer “.
Another witness Mr. Musa Bello a teacher under Parents Teachers Association (PTA) in Wase local government of Plateau state said in his polling unit there was massive electoral malpractice.
Speaking from paragraph (6) of his written statement on oath, said: “I worked with other three agents in Angwan Hausa polling unit in Wase local government.”
On further cross-examination, whether he reported the case of the electoral malpractice that is contained on witness statement in paragraph (6) to the security on duty, he said yes but nothing was done about it.
It would be recalled that the 2019 governorship election tribunal sitting in Jos started hearing in a substantive matter before the tribunal on Thursday 27th,2019.
Jeremiah Usani of the People Democratic Party (PDP) is challenging the result of 2019 governorship election in the state which declared Barrister Bako Lalong winner on the ground that the election is marred with massive irregularities.
The Tribunal on Monday has agreed with Petitioners Counsel against the objections raised by all the respondent counsels as their objections were overruled by Justice Halima Salesman.
The 1st, 2nd and 3rd respondent’s Counsel on whether a witness who’s witness deposition was frontloaded in a Petition but not listed, can be allowed to testify at the Tribunal.
General Jeremiah Useini Retired and the People’s Democratic Party P-D-P have tendered the third set of exhibit Documents before the Governorship Tribunal sitting in Jos, Plateau State to support their Petitions Challenging the victory of the State Governor Barr. Simon Bako Lalong at the 2019 Governorship elections.
The petitioners in his Presentation on exhibit Documents before the Tribunal for adoption, Counsel to the Petitioners Chief Mike Ozekhome(SAN), pleaded with the Tribunal to adopt the documents as an exhibit in support of Useni and P-D-P’s Petition against the Lalong in the Tribunal.
These documents were INEC duplicates copies of Statements of the results casts, on EC8A forms and their Certified True Copies for Polling Units in some Ward Registrations Areas of Wase and Jos North Local Government Areas of the State.
Some other Polling Units includes Gobirawa of Kuyanbana wards Registration Area as Pleaded on the Volume one of the Petitioners’ documents earlier admitted before the Tribunal.
Certified true copies of INEC results for Gadan Alasiri, Naraguta ward, Rikkos , Jos Jarawa , Kasuwan Dare, Yan’shanu, Community Center, Alikazaure, Abdul Salami, are all the polling Units and wards registration Areas across these two affected Local Government Areas of Plateau State.
Others also include Yan’kaji, and Asibitin Kutare Polling unit of Ali Kazaure ward registration Area, School Lane-one Polling unit of Abba NaShehu Ward registration Area all in Jos North Local Government Area among others.
Having displayed the Documents before the Tribunal, Counsel to the Petitioner, thereafter sought to tender them sequentially, as the Tribunal further ruled according to the Petitioner’s prayers.
On their parts, Counsel to the 1st respondents said, they will Object the submission at an appropriate time, while 2nd and 3rd Respondents both said, they will raise their objections concerning the submission after articulating their views as their comments are been kept reserved for the moment.
Counsel to the People’s Democratic Party also raised a point of note. Saying, the Documents are not what one could add or subtract.Hence they will also make their own address at the appropriate time regarding the Respondent’s comments.
One of the witnesses Sanusi Nuhu living in Abba NaShehu who admitted signing an exhibit Statement before the Tribunal on the April 13th, 2019, recognized and affirmed his signature, testified during examinations that, he has no quarrel with the exhibit B27 INEC results in pink sheet but that the results are not the same as the one he signed at the polling unit.
Another witness Abdullahi Danbade of Naraguta A, Gadan Alhassan Polling Unit having pleaded with the Tribunal for the adoption of witness Statement to serves as an exhibit, also went through examination by 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Respondents testified that he was at the polling unit during the exercise and also casts his votes. Danbade said that he signed the results at the completion of the entry on the results sheet but there were no alterations as he is seeing on the sheets today. Hence the changes were made not in his presence.
Baba Ali Adam whose name as called by the Petitioner carries acronyms could not make his point as the Respondent raised an objection to the attached acronyms, not been part of what was contained in the witnesses lists in the Petitioner’s documents leaning their arguments on the paragraph 4,5a of the 1st schedule of the electoral acts, which deals with elections Petitions matter. But said, “except if the Petitioners are seeking to amend the list of their witnesses”.
The responding the Respondent’s objections on that note, the Petitioners described the objection as a Gross misconception of the law of the electoral acts, adding that, the act gave all directions on all matters concerning witnesses dwelling his point on paragraph 6 of the 1st schedule of the electoral acts.
Ozekhome reads the Portions to back his arguments, saying that on that note, ” once a Petition has been accepted for filing, it has to be taken as it is”. He further referred the court to elections Tribunal and court practice traditions.
