Caption: •Uba Sani, Ashiru
The Governorship Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Kaduna has dismissed two preliminary objections filed by Governor Uba Sani and the All Progressives Congress (APC) to dismiss the petition filed by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its candidate, Isah Mohammed Ashiru.
First, the tribunal dismissed the preliminary objection filed by Uba Sani on the timeliness of the petition filed by the PDP and Ashiru.
Sani’s legal team argued the petition of the petitioners was filed outside the 21 days allowed by the law.
The court affirmed that the petition was filed on 10th April 2023.
The three man panel led by Justice Victor Oviawe, therefore dismissed the petition of Governor Uba Sani who is the second respondent in the case.
In the second preliminary objection, the respondents argued that the petitioners had abandoned their petition. The Tribunal however dismissed the motion.
The Tribunal is delving into determining the main petition.
The PDP is challenging the election of Uba Sani as the Governor of Kaduna State on the grounds of alleged irregularities and electoral fraud, saying that its Candidate (Isa Mohammed Ashiru) won the election.
During the hearing of the petition, the PDP and Ashiru called 24 witnesses and presented claims and documents to prove their case.
However, at the close of hearing, all the parties presented their final written addresses before the Tribunal, with APC’s Uba Sani saying that, the petitioners unwittingly helped in proving that, he won the March 18 governorship election, in the course of challenging his victory.
Uba Sani’s legal team led by a former Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Chief Bayo Ojo, SAN, argued that, the petitioners had helped in proving he won the poll fair and square, pointing in particular to the admission of a star witness for the petitioner, Bonett Gwazah, a senior system analyst (SSA) in the VR/ICT Department of INEC in Kaduna State.
In their final address, the PDP and Ashiru argued that, that two conflicting election results emerged from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for the governorship election in the state.
Ashiru through his lead counsel, Oluwole Iyamu, SAN argued that INEC is responsible for the manipulation of election results.
He equally alleged over voting and abuse of electoral processes and therefore asked for the reversal of the INEC declaration that produced Governor Uba Sani. (Adapted from The Nation reports)
