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…. Says results on INEC IREV portal differed from what is presented
From Abel Leonard, Lafia
In the ongoing Governorship Election Petitions Tribunal in Nasarawa State, proceedings carried on as the defense for Governor Abdullahi Sule presented their case against the alleged manipulation of the March 18, 2023 governorship election. The opposition candidate, Dr. David Ombugadu of the Peoples Democratic Party, contested the election results declared in favor of Governor Sule.
During the recent tribunal sitting in Lafia, the state capital, Dr. Samuel Okutepa (SAN), lead counsel for Ombugadu, objected to documents presented by Wole Olanikpekun (SAN), the lead counsel for the second respondent and APC candidate, Abdullahi Sule. Okutepa mentioned that he would provide reasons for his objection in his written address.
Olanikpekun had submitted certified copies of documents, including forms EC8Bs for Shege 1 ward of Toto Local Government Area and forms EC8BS of Gidan Ausa 2 of Obi Local Government Area, to support Governor Sule’s defense. The governor’s legal team also produced seven witnesses from Keffi and Nasarawa LGAs who testified that their client had indeed won the election in their respective areas.
Muktar Ibrahim, an APC member from Iya Ward 2 in Keffi LGA, testified that the Bimodal Voters Accreditation System machines were used for voter authentication and result upload, but claimed that APC votes were reduced and PDP votes were increased during the election. Another witness, Habibu Sarki, the APC collation agent for Ara Ward 2 in Nasarawa LGA, alleged manipulation of results, specifically citing a polling unit where PDP votes increased and APC votes decreased.
However, during cross-examinations, it was revealed that the results on the INEC IREV portal differed from what the witnesses identified as election results from their areas. This raised questions about the authenticity of the presented claims.
After hearing the testimonies of the witnesses, Justice Ezekiel Ajayi, the tribunal’s chairman, adjourned the proceedings to August 26, 2023, for the continuation of the defense. The case remains a focal point of attention as the tribunal endeavors to ascertain the validity of the election results and claims of manipulation.
