Story By Israel Bulus
Witnesses on Tuesday told the Kaduna State governorship election petition tribunal sitting in Kaduna that March 9 governorship election did not take place in many of the polling units of Zaria Local Government Area.
The Governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Mr. Isa Ashiru and his party are challenging the declaration of Mallam Nasir El-Rufai of the All Progressives Congress (APC) winner of the March 9th, 2019 governorship elections by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Professor Muhammad Garba, the collation officer of Zaria LGA, had declared that the All Progressive Congress (APC) polled 111, 014 votes while the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) scoring 35, 356.
But at the resume hearing, witnesses brought by the petitioners, (Ashiru, PDP) told the tribunal that elections did not hold in some polling units, while results from some polling units were elections held were tempered with.
Yahaya Abubakar, one of the of the witnesses who served as agent of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in polling units 014 told the tribunal that “election did not take place in my polling unit, but surprisingly, I was later shown the result of the elections purported to have emanating from INEC without the official stamp.”
Another witness, Ahmed Babajo in Zaria LGA also told the court that elections did not take place at the polling Unit 008 and was surprised to see INEC annoucing the result of an election that never took place.
Mohammed M. Amfani, another witness from polling unit 032 also said “election did not hold in my polling unit and I was later shown a purported results from INEC which has no stamp on it. I am surprise how INEC manufactured a result of elections that never held with name without signature.”
Another witness, Sadam Shehu of polling unit 001 said “as agent of my party, I confirm elections did not take place in my polling Unit on March 9th and I was shown results sheet emanating from INEC that election took place.”
“Even the result from INEC didn’t have stamp of the presiding officer.”
For Witness Danjuma Garba, “election took place at 011 polling unit but the result from INEC certified copy did not reflect the true result. It was change and given figures which did not reflect the outcome of the election.”
Mohammed A. Dogara also confirmed that election never held at 001 polling, adding that “election did not hold because INEC officials did not show up on Election Day. But I later saw result from INEC that election held. And there was no stamp on the results sheet from INEC and the signature on the sheet is not mine too”.
Tukur Mustapha, again said, election was never held at 006, adding “there was no election, because the INEC officials did not show up. But, I was later shown result sheet emanating from INEC. My name is writing on the result sheet from INEC without a signature.”
AbdulRahman Lawal, told the tribunal that election was conducted in his polling unit, 003 and he was given a pink copy of the result, with his name and signature on it as an agent. But to his surprise, he was shown another result sheet emanating from INEC with different scores by the parties.”
However, the pink copy was admitted as evidence.
For witness Bello Ubaidula, who served as collation agent of the petitioners at Kwarbai ward A said “there was no collation of results at the entire 23 polling units of the ward “because the election was disrupted by security agencies.”
He said, “I was surprise to see a purported result from INEC, signed by another ward collation agent, we don’t know.”
Meanwhile, the Ibrahim Bako led tribunal adjourned to Wednesday June 19 for continue, after taking 13 witnesses from Zaria LG.
Ashiru vs El-Rufai: Witnesses Proved How INEC Rigged Kaduna Guber Election.
