From Noah Ebije, Kaduna
Kaduna State governorship candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) for the March 18, 2023 general elections, Hon. Isa Ashiru, has revealed that two conflicting election results emerged from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Kaduna State, which according to him, denied him victory at the polls.
The PDP guber candidate made this known at the tribunal sitting in Kaduna on Monday, where he further emphasised that election results were changed by INEC in favour of the ruling All Progressives Party (APC) in the state.
After adopting his final written addresses before the 3-man panel of the tribunal headed by Victor Oviawie, Ashiru through his lead counsel, Oluwole Iyamu explained that INEC was responsible for the manipulation of the election results.
In his final written addresses, Ashiru also alleged over voting and abuse of electoral processes, while calling for the reversal of the INEC declaration that produced the incumbent Governor of Kaduna state, Uba Sani.
On the issue of not calling polling unit agents as one of the witnesses, Ashiru’s lead counsel further explained that manipulation of election results were not done at the polling units, but within the armbit of INEC, “therefore, there is no need for calling any agent as a witness”.
” Election results were not changed at the polling units, but that was done outside the polling units before they were declared at the INEC in favour of APC. Our agents at the polling units of other parties were all given their duplicate copies from which we confirm that the petitioner actually won the election. Neither INEC nor Uba Sani produced contrary original or duplicate copies respectively to disproof our agents certified duplicate copies . We have conflicting results both from INEC, and all were signed by the same INEC,” Iyamu (SAN) said.
In their separate submissions, the counsels to the 1st (INEC), 2nd (Uba Sani) and 3rd (APC) respondents applied that the written addresses of Ashiru and his party; PDP be dismissed.
Chief Duro Adeyele (SAN), the counsel to Governor Uba Sani argued that the written addresses of Ashiru and PDP are incompetent, adding that, it is a violation of the law.
” My submission is that filling three separate addresses is an abuse of the court process. The only alternative left for the petitioners is to pick one out of the three,” the counsel to Governor Uba Sani said.
However, the lead counsel to Ashiru and PDP, Iyamu urged the tribunal to dismiss the applications of the respondents, just as he argued that their claims are not supported by any law.
Meanwhile, upon adoption of the final written addresses by all parties, the tribunal adjourned for final judgement, to a date that shall be communicated to the counsels to the petitioners and respondents.