The People’s Democratic Party’s Dr. Emmanuel David Ombugadu filed a petition against the announcement that the APC’s Eng. Abdullahi Sule had won the state’s March 18 election, and the Governorship Petition Tribunal in Lafia, Nasarawa State, started hearing it on Friday.
It should be remembered that the tribunal had last week deferred its proceedings following the first hearing presided over by Ezekiel Oyeyemi Ajayi, the chairman of the three-judge panel.
The People’s Democratic Party PDP’s J Numa SAN, who responded on behalf of the counsels, said at the beginning of the session that the petitioner was prepared to present evidence to the tribunal.
When the first evidence obtained by the petitioner was tendered by the plaintiff in the case of Azara and other wards in Awe for hearing, the lead counsel to the defendant, Sassan Liman SAN objected to the claim by the plaintiff but said they reserved their argument for another sitting date.
The petitioner however tendered evidence from Awe, Doma, Chiroma, Gayam and Asakio wards in Lafia local government.
Other evidence tendered and objected to by counsel to the defendant include Nasarawa Eggon, Akwanga Karu amongst others which were all objected to by the defendant’s counsel.
Addressing the tribunal, the counsels to INEC, Ishaka Dikko, Adebayo Ade and Hassan Liman adopted their answers to the hearing.
In his ruling, Chairman of the tribunal, Justice Ezekiel Oyeyemi Ajayi fixed 24th of June for the continuation of hearing.