Kano: Gama ward results ‘disappeared’ at collation centre — Returning officer
Joshua Kubai, an ad hoc staff of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), yesterday, testified at the Kano State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal in continuation of the hearing of the case filed by the PDP and its candidate, Abba Kabir Yusuf.
Kubai, a staff of Bayero University, Kano, was the Returning Officer of the contentious Gama ward in Nasarawa Local Government Area during the last governorship election who was summoned by the tribunal on the request of the petitioners.
Kubai who testified on behalf of
the petitioners, was cross-examined by counsels to the respondents on the election results of the ward as well as his witness statement on oath, during which he mentioned that the Gama ward election results “disappeared” at the local government collation centre.
During cross examination, counsel to INEC, Adedayo Adedeji, asked the witness whether he was aware that when election results got lost must be “quarantined” when it was found, to which he said he was not aware.
Addressing journalists, a counsel to the PDP, Kuliya Maliki, said the petitioners were happy to have a neutral person who worked for INEC to come and testify on their behalf.
Also commenting, a counsel to Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, M. A. Lawan, said the respondents were confident going by the way things were unfolding.
Earlier, the petitioners had intended to call witnesses among the eight persons whose names were omitted in the list, but the request was rejected by the respondents, saying Monday, August 5, was the day agreed upon for those witnesses to be called.
In her ruling, Justice Halima S. Muhammad ordered that the respondents had until today to prepare for the eight witnesses to appear before the tribunal for their testimony.