Kwara tribunal dismisses PDP petition against Gov Abdulrazaq

The governorship election petition tribunal in Kwara State, on Friday, dismissed a petition by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) seeking the nullification of Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq’s election.

Chairman of the tribunal sitting in Ilorin, Justice Bassey Effiong ruled that the PDP candidate, Razak Atunwa, failed to prove his allegations against Abdulrazaq of the All Progressive Congress (APC).

Atunwa had sought the nullification of Abdulrazaq’s election on the ground that he lacked the academic qualification to run.

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Effiong, while delivering his judgement on Friday, said: “All evidences before us show that Abdulrazaq sat for the examination and was, therefore, qualified to run for the office of the governor.

“From all the evidences before us, we hold that the petition lacks merit and is hereby dismissed,”

The chairman of the three-man panel delivered a unanimous judgment.

The judge said the law stated that where a petitioner made the commission of a crime the kernel of his petition, then he must prove it beyond a reasonable doubt.

“Has the petitioners discharged the burden of proof expected of them, and from the evidence in this case, the answer is a resounding ‘No’.

“We hold that all the evidences presented by the West African Examination Council (WAEC) which the petitioners had relied upon and the subpoena, were at variance with the pleadings of the petitioners,” he said.

Effiong said WAEC, which was the only statutory body to issue such documents, had made it clear that Abdulrazaq’s certificate had emanated from it.

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