The Governorship Election Petition Tribunal in Lafia, the Nasarawa State capital, has adjourned its sitting until Friday, July 14, 2023. The adjournment is intended to allow for the continuation of the hearing after the admission of crucial documents.
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its governorship candidate, David Ombugadu, have filed a petition challenging the declaration of Abdullahi Sule as the winner of the March 18th governorship election in Nasarawa State. The PDP alleges irregularities in certain local government areas and seeks to contest the outcome.
During the hearing on Thursday, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) officials submitted electoral documents from Awe and Lafia local government areas in response to a request made by the PDP counsel. These documents are expected to play a significant role in the ongoing case.
However, the counsel representing the All Progressives Congress (APC) and Governor Abdullahi Sule objected to the admissibility of the documents. They reserved their objections for inclusion in their final addresses, which will be presented later in the proceedings.
The adjournment was deemed necessary to allow the petitioner’s counsel, Jibrin Samuel, to compare his list of scheduled documents with the list of subpoenaed documents tendered by INEC. Samuel argued that some of the subpoenaed documents presented in court were incomplete, necessitating additional time to review them thoroughly.
In response to the request, the Chairman of the tribunal, Ezikeil Ajayi, announced the adjournment of the sitting to Friday, July 14, 2023. This delay will allow the petitioner’s counsel to meticulously examine the submitted documents and ensure a fair and comprehensive presentation of their case.
The continuation of the Governorship Election Petition Tribunal’s hearing on Friday is eagerly awaited, as it promises to shed further light on the disputed election results and bring clarity to the concerns raised by the PDP and its candidate, David Ombugadu.