Gov. Yusuf tenders NNPP membership register as evidence to tribunal
Register
By Ahmed Abdulkadir Kano
Kano, The Governor of Kano State, Engr Abba Kabir-Yusuf, on Saturday, tendered a copy of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) membership register before Kano State Governorship Election Tribunal as exhibit.
NAN reports that the petitioner APC on April 9, filed a petition challenging the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for declaring Abba Kabir-Yusuf of NNPP winner of the election that was conducted on March 18, 2023.
The Petitioner is also asking the Tribunal to declare that NNPP has no candidate as Kabir-Yusuf is not in their register of voters submitted to INEC at the time of the election.
The respondents are INEC, Abba Kabir-Yusuf and New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP).
At the resumed sitting, Counsel to the petitioner, Offiong Offiong SAN, led in evidence presented Pw31 and Pw32 as their last witnesses and close their case.
Pw31 Rabiu Suleiman Bichi, a politician and a returning agent for APC in his four witness statement of oath dated April 9, said he submitted the list of all APC agents to INEC.
“I only acted as a ward returning agent.I voted in my polling unit. There is a stamp of INEC on the ballot paper.
“All the ballot paper were not binded before it was given to me by INEC”
Under cross-examination Suleiman-Bichi said he is a registered Bichi ward voter of APC, while Kabir-Yusuf is a member of NNPP with registration number NNPP/HQ/KN/DWL/DS/001.
“Dr Nasiru Gawuna APC 2023 Governorship candidate did not congratulate Kabir-Yusuf after he won the election”
Similarly PW32, Dr Aminu Idris-Harbau, a lecturer from the department of Economics Sa’adatu Rimi College of Education,also testified before the tribunal as a subpoena witness.
He said he was engaged by the petitioner on April 3, to analys and interpret the invalid votes.
“I only validated NNPP ballot paper. I obtained the ballot papers from INEC ,they are certified true copies. Gaya, Takai, Dawakin Tofa, Doguwa and Sumaila local government were not included in my report out of the state 44 local government”
Counsel to Kabir-Yusuf, Adegboyega Awomolo SAN, tendered Kabir-Yusuf’s membership register as exhibit.
Awomolo and Counsel to NNPP Abdulhamid Muhammad, also objected the admissibility of the documents, adding that they would advance reasons for their objection at the final address.
Awomolo earlier while cross-examining the PW32 star witness said an expert must be scientifically, mathematically, arithmetically and statistically.
Muhammad also while cross-examining the PW32 asked why did he not validate any ballot paper voted for APC.
The three man panel led by Justice Oluyemi Akintan-Osadebay, adjourned the matter until July 20, for INEC to open their defense.
