Kebbi State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Birnin Kebbi on Thursday said it has concluded its hearing of the petition filed by Aminu Bande and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) marked EPT/BK/GOV/1/ 2023, challenging the victory of Governor Nasir Idris, Deputy Governor Abubakar Umar Tafida and All Progress Congress (APC), adding that it may give judgement soon.
The tribunal chairman, Justice Ofem I. Ofem, having heard both petitioners and the respondents’ counsels while concluding adoption of their final written addresses, expressed his panel’s appreciation to all the counsels for good conduct and character exhibited from the kick-off of pre-hearing, hearing and adoption of final written addresses.
He said, “having come to the end of hearing this petition today being Wednesday 28th September 2023, we want to assure you that we will put in our best to do justice to all.
“Equally, we want to urge all counsels to bear with us. We can call you at any time to give our judgement within the shortest possible time”, the tribunal chairman said.
The petitioners had argued its case on three grounds, including eligibility, election malpractices while the last ground claimed that the 2nd and 3rd Respondents were not duly elected by the majority of the lawful votes cast on the 18th March 2023.
The Petitioners’ lead counsel, Michael Kaase Anodoka, SAN, confirmed to the tribunal that petitioners have filed all their preliminary objections to the admissibility of all the documents of 3rd respondent sought to be tendered during their defense to the tribunal. He said “our objections papers were dated on the 24th of August 2023 and filed on the same day.
“Equally, we filed our final brief to the 3rd respondent on 23th August, 2023. We have filed an additional list of authorities. Equally, on the 24th of August we filed petitioner’s reply answers on point of law to all the respondents to petitioners final written address reactions”.
Michael Aondoka SAN, further submitted to the tribunal that the arguments canvassed as petitioners is to expunge all the documents tendered by the 3rd respondent before the tribunal, saying the documents are not same as the ones he presented to INEC.
“We finally urged the tribunal to hold and give judgement in favor of the petitioners,” Michael Kaase Anodoka SAN submitted.
The counsels to 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th respondents, Usman O. Sule SAN, for INEC, Yakubu Chinoko Maikyau SAN, for Gov. Nasir Idris, K. K. Elejah SAN, for Deputy Governor Abubakar Umar Tafida and Abdullahi Yahaya SAN for the APC confirmed to the tribunal that they received the processes of final written address and all preliminary objections filed by petitioners.
They also informed the tribunal that separately they all filed their own final written addresses and answers to the preliminary objections raised by the petitioners.
They said “We humbly adopt the same as our final legal arguments as regards to this petition as respondents in the said petition.
“We urge the tribunal to dismiss the petition based on the arguments, authorities and judgement provided to tribunal to look at and act upon, as well to give judgement in favor of the respondents”, they said.
In addition, the 4th respondent counsel, Abdullahi Yahaya, SAN said he had filed an additional lists of authorities and with the most recent judgement delivered by Presidential Election Petition Tribunal (PEPT) on the issue of a subpoenaed witness called by the petitioners in this petition without his statement on oath before the tribunal.
He urged the tribunal to expunge all the Petitioners subpoenaed witnesses for failure to file their statement on oath along with the petition.
The respondents counsels after adopting their final written addresses and addunbration, urged the tribunal to dismiss the petition because the petitioners failed to proof their onus burden on the petition before the tribunal and affirm the election of Governor Nasir Idris and his Deputy Abubakar Umar Tafida as duly elected Kebbi state governor and deputy.
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