Kaduna Governorship Election: INEC rejects own documents

The Independent National Electoral Commission (lNEC) on Wednesday objected the adoption of the deposition made by one of its staff who appeared as witness before the Governorship Election Petition Court in Kaduna.

The witness, Mr Bonet Gwaza, a Senior System Analyst with INEC, had on July 11 presented some governorship election documents before the tribunal.

Among the documents he presented were the INEC voters register for Kauru, Lere, Zaria and Igabi Local Government Areas (LGAs);  BVAs report and Form EC40G for Igabi West constituency.

INEC Counsels, Abdullahi Aliyu, however objected to the validity and admissibility of the documents.

Similarly, Duru Adeleye and Abdul Muhammad, Counsel for Gov. Uba Sani and the All Progressives Congress, rejected the documents presented by the witness.

The respondents’ counsel said they would file reasons for the objection in their final written addresses.

In spite of the objections, the tribunal admitted the documents and deposition made by Gwaza, who appeared as witness for the PDP governorship candidate, Isa Ashiru.

Also at Wednesday’s sitting, another witness, Danjuma Bello-Sarki, presented more exhibits to prove the petitioners claim that the elections was rigged.

Bello-Sarki was the PDP state collation officer for the March 18, 2023 governorship election in Kaduna State.

He tendered duplicate copies of the results from all the 8,012 polling units of the state in which he stated that 65 polling units were wrongly cancelled by INEC.

Other exhibits presented were IREV report, number of registered voters, among others.

The witness was cross examined accordingly by the respondents and was discharged by the court.

Meanwhile, the petitioner’s counsel, Samuel Atung prayed for an adjournment for them to present more witnesses.

Justice Victor Oviawie, who heads the three-man panel, adjourned the case till July 19, for the petitioners to present more witnesses.