Tribunal fixes Sept. 9 for adoption of final addresses in Nasarawa

Justice Halima Mohammed, the Chairman of the Nasarawa State Governorship Elections Tribunal, has adjourned sitting till Sept. 9, for adoption of final addresses by all parties in the petition.

The tribunal fixed the date on Wednesday following the closure of cases by all parties to the petition.

Mr Labaran Maku, governorship candidate of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), had dragged Gov. Umaru Al-Makura, APC, and INEC to the tribunal, alleging over voting and irregularities during the election.

The third respondent, Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had earlier opened and closed its defence without calling any witness to testify before the tribunal.

Hassan Liman (SAN), Counsel to INEC, in his application for the closure of the case, said although his client had 10 days to defend her case, they decided to close it without calling any witness.

Liman said all the materials used in the governorship elections in respect of the six local government areas where the petitioner challenged, were intact and tendered in court in line with a subpoena from the tribunal.

Counsel to Al-Makura and APC, Akin Oladeji and Yusuf Usman, supported the application for the closure of INEC’s case at the tribunal.

Liman later sought the permission of the tribunal to set Sept. 9 for adoption of final addresses, saying that all the parties in the case had conferred and agreed on the date.

NAN reports that out of the more than 150 witnesses billed to testify at the tribunal, only 58 testified before all the parties closed their cases.

Maku had presented 54 witnesses of 60, Al-Makura presented two witnesses out of 26, APC presented two out of 55, while INEC failed to present any witness before the tribunal.