10th May, 2012
The Kogi Governorship Election Petitions Tribunal has reserved judgment in the petition filed by Prince Abubakar Audu of Action Congress of Nigeria again Governor Idris Wada in the 3 December, 2011 election.
The tribunal Chairman, Justice Suleiman Ambursa, who made this known in Lokoja on Thursday, said that the date would be communicated to the parties.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reported that the judge reserved the date after hearing the submission and adoption of written addresses by counsel to the petitioners and respondents. Audu, who is challenging the victory of Captain Idris Wada as the winner of the election by INEC, alleged falsification of results and malpractices among other allegations.
Earlier, the counsel to Wada, Mr Lateef Fagbemi, a senior advocate of Nigeria (SAN), described the petition as needless, saying that he was confident it would fail. He said that the petition had no foundation and urged the tribunal to dismiss it.
In his submission, the counsel to the PDP, Mr Chris Uche (SAN), urged the tribunal to strike out the petition, describing it as a “fruitless adventure.”
According to him, the petitioners are merely attacking the outcome of the election but they failed to prove their case beyond reasonable doubt.
The counsel to INEC, Malam Yusuf Ali (SAN), aligned himself with the submissions of Uche and Fagbemi, saying that the petition lacked merit because it was unsigned and undated. However, the counsel to the petitioner, Mr Charles Edosomwan (SAN), urged the tribunal to weigh the volume of evidence before it and do justice in the matter.
He said that there was no doubt that his client won the election and had proved that they won the Kogi governorship polls, having presented 88 witnesses.
Audu,a former governor of the state, wants the tribunal to declare him winner of the election having scored the highest number of the lawful votes cast during the election. (NAN)