INEC rejects own documents at Kaduna tribunal

The Independent National Electoral Commission (lNEC) on Wednesday kicked against the adoption of the made by one of its staff at the governorship election petition tribunal in Kaduna.

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate, Isa Ashiru, is challenging Governor Uba Sani’s victory in the election over alleged irregularities.

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), Biometric Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) report, and Form EC40G for the Igabi West constituency.

READ ALSO: Kaduna tribunal dismisses petition against PDP’s Tanimu Musa

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

Similarly, Duru Adeleye and Abdul Muhammad, Counsel for Governor Sani and the All Progressives Congress (APC), rejected the documents presented by the witness.

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

Despite the objections, the tribunal admitted the documents and deposition made by Gwaza, who appeared as a witness for the PDP candidate.

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

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

He tendered duplicate copies of the results from all the 8, 012 polling units of the state, saying 65 polling units were wrongly cancelled by INEC.

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

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