The state collation officer for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), in the 2023 governorship election in Nasarawa State, Barr. Ayiwulu Baba-Ayiwulu, has told the governorship election petition tribunal that the election was rigged in favour of the All Progressive Congress (APC) and its candidate, Abdulahi Sule.
This is just as the PDP governorship candidate, Dr. David Ombugadu, on Thursday closed his case at the Governorship Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Lafia.
Ombugadu is challenging the victory of Governor Abdullahi Sule of the APC in the polls conducted on March 18.
The petitioner closed his case after presenting the last star witness, Baba-Ayiwulu, who was the State PDP Collation Agent during the election.
Barr. Baba- Ayiwulu insisted that the election was rigged in favour of the APC and its candidate Abdulahi Sule.
The petitioner from the beginning of the case, called 22 witnesses including the star witness who testified to prove that elections in so many units, electoral wards and Local Government Areas were rigged in favour of the APC candidate.
The star witness who was the petitioner’s last witness, was led in chief and also identified some documents that had been tendered earlier as exhibits.
The witness also tendered some documents and the tribunal admitted and marked them as exhibits.
Samuel Jubril-Okutepa (SAN), counsel to the petitioner announced that he has closed his case with the presentation of the last witness.
All the previous witnesses called by the petitioner insisted that the election was surrounded by irregularities in favour of The APC and its candidate Abdulahi Sule.
On their parts, counsels to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), APC, and Governor Sule, Isiaka Dikko (SAN), Hassan Liman (SAN) and Messrs Wole Olanikpekun (SAN) respectively, cross examined the witness to prove their cases.
The Chairman of the three-man Governorship Election Petition Panel, Ezekiel Ajayi, therefore, adjourned the sitting to Friday, Aug. 18, for the first defendant (INEC) to open its defence.
