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Kano State Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje and the Independent National
Electoral Commission (INEC) have rejected Abba Kabiru Yusuf’s witness at
the election tribunal for alleged impersonation.
Objecting to the appearance of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) witness
during resumed hearing of governorship election petition tribunal, Lead
Counsel to Governor Ganduje, Offiong Offiong (SAN) accused the petitioner
of injecting a fresh name on the witnesses list.
Counsel to the petitioner, Abiodun Jelili Owonikoko (SAN) had earlier
presented Balarabe Garba as second witness to testify against Ganduje’s
victory.
But Offiong, who swiftly stood against Garba’s testimony, insisted that
the witness’ name was not on the list.
Also, Counsel to INEC, Adedojin Adedeji, who opposed PDP’s attempt to
present Garba to testify against the respondent, urged the tribunal to
discountenance his representation.
Earlier, Offiong had refuted the testimony of the first witness Mohammad
Hussain, PDP agent at 013 PU in Gama ward for disagreement between his
testimony and statement document.
Offiong alleged that there was no specific portion where Hussain
indicated claim of violence during March 23, 2019 governorship poll in his
statement.
However, Owoniko, who could hardly prove his defense against the position
of the respondents, rather sought the leave of the tribunal to evaluate
their witnesses’ list.
The three-member panel of the tribunal led by Justice Halima S. Mohammad
had dismissed PDP’s application to correct errors on its witness list, a
move the PDP said would enable it to include eight witnesses.
But the respondents insisted that such application was an attempt to
amend the original petition filed by PDP. Already, PDP has filed an appeal
before the Kaduna division against the tribunal’s ruling.
The petitioner has so far presented 11 witnesses for cross examination on
day four of hearing, while the tribunal adjourned sitting to Saturday, July
27, 2019 to enable counsels appear at the Court of Appeal, Kaduna on Friday.