Maje Idris Open, Closes Defense With Five Witnesses, As Kanje Rejects The Admissibility Of Documents
Yakubu Busari
The former Deputy Speaker, the First respondent, Hon. Idris Ahmed Maje Wase opened and closed the defense with five witnesses on Tuesday at the ongoing Election Petition Tribunal of the National, State Houses of Assembly sitting in Jos.
The Former Deputy Speaker, opened defense with tendering of volumes of documents through the bar to help his alleged rigging and over-voting on the 25th Day of the February 2023 election held in Wase Federal Constituency of Plateau State.
However, Hon.Ibrahim Kanje Bawa of the People Democratic Party , PDP, is before the trial tribunal challenging the declaration of Idris Ahmed Wase who is the first respondent as pronounced winner of the Wase Federal Constituency election for having scoring the lawful votes cast.
It was also alleged that massive rigging and overvoting in 15 polling units in Bashar district of Wase led to the cancellation of the results in some parts, as one person thump printed the ballot papers.
The petitioner’s counsel S.S.Obende told the trial tribunal that the petitioners has closed their case and the first respondent opened her defense .
However, the first respondent Barr.Sani Rabiu explained that they have documents to tender from the bar about 12 documents sought to be admitted in evidence.
According to him, they have served parties this morning as arranged in the schedule as given to counsels during the processes.
Maje Wase documents were admitted and marked as exhibits 1R1 A-B ,1R2 A-B,a1R3 A-B ,1R4A-B,1R5A-B,1R6A-B,1R7A-B,1R7A-B,1R8A-B ,1R9A-B,1R10,1R10A-B,1RW,.
The RPW1, Abdullahi Useini of Wase town on subpoenaed presented documents and tendered in evidence before the trial tribunal and was admitted in evidence and marked as exhibit 1R13.
The counsel to the first respondent, Dani Rabiu referred Abdullahi Useini to his statement on oath where the witness identified subpoenaed and the guidelines and constitution were tendered in evidence without objection from the 1,2,3, except the petitioners’ counsel that objected to the admissibility of the documents.
Besides, the 1st respondent Drew the trial tribunal that the said documents were listed among in the pre-hearing scheduled reserve in the final written address after the objection.
And the 1R14 a ,1R14 b in paragraph the witness form of 2020 was brought which deal with congresses held and monitored by INEC in paragraphs 11-15 page 22,18 inclusive yes, identified.
