Plateau elections: We fielded candidate for P’South, not North, UPP tells tribunal

Gyang Bere, Jos

The National Secretary of United People’s Progressive (UPP), Alh Sadeeq Masalla has told the National Assembly Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Jos, that the party submitted to INEC the name of Inuwa Sanusi as its candidate for Plateau South and not Plateau North Senatorial candidate during the 2019 Presidential and National Assembly elections.

Masalla testified before the tribunal during cross-examination by counsel to Hon. Istifanus Gyang, Harrison Ugwala that the party did not field Inuwa Sanusi as candidate for Plateau North Senatorial election.

Sanusi, the petitioner had dragged the senator representing Plateau North, Hon. Istifanus Gyang, the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and  Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to the tribunal for excluding his name and party’s logo on the ballot papers for Plateau North senatorial election.

He urged the tribunal to annual the Plateau North senatorial election and order a fresh poll.

But the Party’s National Secretary, Masalla in his witnessing and testimony before the tribunal said that him and the National Chairman of the party signed and endorsed the appropriate INEC Form CF002 and forwarded same to INEC.

He confirmed to the tribunal that the forms were filled by all their candidates across the nation while the party’s National Chairman and National Secretary only endorsed the same forms and forwarded to INEC including that of Inuwa Sanusi.

Sanusi made frantic effort to disown the form issued to him during cross-examination by the counsel to the defendants, Harrison Ugwala, until a certified true copy of the form from INEC was tendered in evidence before the tribunal.

Hon. Gyang and the People’s Democratic Party, (PDP) who are respondents in the suit submitted through their counsel, said Inuwa Sanusi couldn’t have contested the election in Plateau North senatorial district as his party, the UPP, fielded him as candidate for Plateau South senatorial district based on form CF200 which was submitted to INEC.

The Chairman of the tribunal, Justice T. N Nzeogwu, however, adjourned the case for further hearing.