Yakubu Busari
The candidate for People Democratic Party, PDP, Plateau State Governorship Election in 23rd February 2019, General Jeremiah Timbut Useni has urged the Tribunal to declare him the winner of the election considering the 9 local governments out of 17 were marred by irregularities, over-voting, alterations electoral misconduct.
Useni has approached the Tribunal to declare him winner following the petition he filed at the Governorship Election Tribunal sitting in Plateau State under Justice Halimat Saleeman .
LT General Useni, PDP has filed a suit challenging the victory of Governor Simon Bako Lalong of the which the petitioners adopted their final written addresses
Counsel to the 1st respondent (INEC), Barr Clement told the tribunal that this is the final written address dated 8-8-2019 on behalf of the 1st respondent, we hereby adopt it as our argument in the matter.
The Governorship Election Tribunal sitting in Plateau State has reserved been adjourned for judgment promised to be fair to all parties especially that the people who follow the trend of event understood how the proceedings.
INEC stressed that; “we adopted by asking for the Tribunal to strike out the evidence of -PW71 who is a staff of the 1st respondent whose both his evidence in chief and that of PW1 in questions and answers during the cross-examination in the governorship in Plateau state.
The election was conducted in substantial compliance with the electoral act.
Meanwhile, the counsel to Governor Simon Lalong, Lateef Fagbemi who is 2nd respondent said in their final written address dated 8-8-2019 that; we humbly adopt and rely on the process.
The first point is that there is no point raised by the petitioners to warrant the cancellation of the election because of the electoral guideline was duly followed so I submit that the petitioners failed to prove in any of the relief sought before now, he stated.
We have filed an application seeking the Tribunal to strike out the entire complaint; in respect of petition, we have about 742 polling units.
We call that the performance of the petitioners is optimally very low so my I submit that the PW2 -PW71 which shows that their evidence is given any consideration for two reasons, citing the Supreme Court judgment.
According to him, most of the witnessed brought can’t speak in the English Language which the interpretation made very difficult to understand, they always say, “Hakana , Hakana, so I call on the Tribunal to disregard.
However, these witnesses were not listed which he refers the Tribunal to reply dated 19-08-2019, the evidence prove that election was free and fair.
The 3rd respondent, (APC) Garba Pwul , SAN, said we have argued pending challenging the entire petition also items regarding the admissibility of some documents that were raised in our prehearing were we reject that some of them should be expunged.
In our final written address dated 8-8-2019 we hereby adopt the address as our final argument in the petition.
We associate our submission with the 1st & 2nd, were our learned counsels raised fundamental issues of the 2nd respondent which give emphasis on his qualification and plead.
According to Pwul by all standard Governor Simon Lalong is qualify to participate in the election, the petitioners’ complaints of over-voting, alteration, we frown that there is no issue.
About 48 witnesses were presented to the Election Tribunal base on this, we urged your Lordship to dismiss the petitioner’s petition for lack of merits.
The counsel to the petitioners, Chief Mike Ozekhome said that the electoral process must be respected so that voters or the electorates’ voice will not be disenfranchised.
This is a process that can give hope to our democracy were voters votes shall be counted not the one presented.
