A total number of 6 witnesses called by Governor Abdullahi Sule at the ongoing Governorship election petition tribunal sitting in Lafia Thursday testified in favour of the 2nd respondent, Governor Abdullahi Sule.
They described the content of the petition against Governor Sule’s re-election by Hon. David Ombugadu as an assumption.
They confirmed to the tribunal that the PDP and its Governorship candidate, David Umbugadu, actually deflected the original scores of the APC and increased those of the PDP in most polling units, which did not reflect the wishes of the people.
The witnesses, who are card-carrying members of the APC in their various wards and identify themselves as Isham Abubakar Dan’azimi, Abubakar Hashimu Danlami, Abdullahi Tela Usman, Ahmad Abubakar Sarki, Kassim Tanko Kassim, and Abdullahi Alkasim, describe the PDP petition against the re-election of Governor Abdullahi Sule of the APC as a distortion of facts and inconsistencies.
They made their submission Thursday while appearing as witnesses for Governor Sule, who was represented by his lawyers, Chief Wale Olanikpekun SAN and Dr. Mubarak Adekilekun.
First to appear before the tribunal to testify in favour of Governor Sule was Isham Abubakar Dan’azimi (RW2), a resident of Wuse in Awe LGA, who confirmed that as a Polling unit agent of the APC, the governorship election in all the polling units was conducted peacefully and the Presiding Officer used the BVAS machine.
He added that in Wuse TV Centre Polling Unit 010, a BVAS machine was used and the results were uploaded to INEC iRev by the Presiding Officer, but complained that the scores of APC were reduced in Wuse TV Centre Polling Unit while those of PDP were increased.
Isham confirmed that it is the same score for political parties that are transferred to the ward level: APC scored 353, PDP 37, at the Wuse TV Centre Polling Unit, but at the Collation of Registration Area of Wuse Ward, APC got 193 instead of 353 at the polling unit level, while that of PDP was increased to 197 instead of 37.
Abdullahi Hashimu Danlami (RW3), a resident of Sabon Garin Awe, Awe LGA, said from the report he received from his party agents, INEC conducted the governorship election peacefully in Makungiji Electoral Ward, and on the day of the election, he cast his votes before going to the Ward Collation Centre, adding that the BVAS machine was used by INEC Presiding Officers.
According to him “After the election, INEC Presiding Officers uploaded the results to iReV, but his party has an issue with the Kekura Primary School Polling Unit of Makungiji Electoral Ward, where the scores of the APC were reduced while those of the PDP were increased, affirming that the exercise was the best ever conducted in the state”.
He said APC scored 238 in the Kekura Primary School Polling Unit while PDP got 15, while in the result of Makungiji Electoral Ward, APC’s score was entered as 159 instead of 238 and that of PDP increased to 94 instead of 15, which was its score at the Polling Unit Level, and he complained bitterly about the irregularities.
Abdullahi Tela Usman (RW4), a resident of Akiri, Awe Local Government Area, told the tribunal that on the day of the governorship election, he cast his votes before he moved to the Ward Collation Centre and visited some Polling Units in Akiri Ward, adding that the BVAS machine was used by INEC Presiding Officers for accreditation as well as uploading the results to iReV.
Abdullahi Usman said his party has problems with the results of the Ungwan Torbuto Polling Unit of Akiri Ward, where the score of APC was calculated wrongly and that of PDP was increased, saying APC scored 213 while PDP got 59, but it’s recorded 161 for APC while PDP was increased to 111.
The 5th witness, Ahmad Abubakar Sarki (RW5), a resident of Keffi, said on the day of the election he cast his vote before he proceeded to the Ward Collation Centre and visited Tudun Kofa Polling Unit, confirming that INEC Presiding Officers used BVAS machines to authenticate voters before they cast their votes.
He affirmed that the results of the election were uploaded to iReV by INEC Presiding Officers, but his party has complaints about the Ungwan Nupawa Polling Unit result and Ungwan Yarbawa Polling Unit result, where the results of the APC for the two polling units were reduced while those of the PDP were increased.
Ahmad Sarki confirmed that he visited Ungwan Nupawa and Ungwan Yarbawa Polling Units, where APC 152 scored 200 while PDP got 17.
Both APC and PDP scored 7, but it was recorded for APC in the Ward Collation Result of Tudun Kofa Registration Area as 184 instead of 200 and 136 instead of 152, just as PDP was increased to 20 instead of 7.
Kasim Tanko Kasim (RW6), a resident of Keffi, said on the day of the governorship election, he cast his vote at his Polling Unit before he proceeded to the Ward Collation Centre and visited some Polling Units within his Ward.
He confirmed that in his Polling Unit and all the Polling Units he visited, INEC Presiding Officers used BVAS machines to authenticate voters before they cast their votes, affirming that after the election, INEC Presiding Officers uploaded the results to iReV.
He complained of the results of Ungwan Kwara and Kofar Gidan Late Mai Angwan Polling Units, where the result of APC was reduced while that of PDP was increased, adding that APC scored 360 in Ungwan Kwara but it was recorded as 2, while PDP got 14, but it was increased to 384 instead of 14.
The 7th witness, Abdullahi AlKasim (RW7), a resident of Gangaren Yara in Keffi, said he cast his vote at his Polling Unit under Alhaji Mukhtar Ahuwa before he proceeded to the Ward Collation Centre and affirmed that the INEC Presiding Officer used a BVAS machine and uploaded the results on iReV.
He confirmed that the election was conducted peacefully in his Polling Unit but complained that the scores of the APC were reduced while those of the PDP were increased, stating particularly that the APC scored 160 and the PDP got 19 in the Kofar Alhaji Mukhtar Ahuwa Polling Unit of Yara Electoral Ward, but the score of the APC was reduced to 65 and that of the PDP was increased to 114.
The testimonies of the six witnesses were all tendered in evidence.
With today’s witnesses, Governor Sule has called a total of seven witnesses since he opened defence last Saturday.
Justice Ezekiel Ajayi adjourned the sitting till August 25, 2023, for the continuation of Governor Sule’s testimony.
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