By Ummi Ismaeel,
Minna
The governorship election tribunal sitting in Minna, Niger State has concluded its sitting with the date for judgment to be announced later following the yesterday’s adoption of final written addresses by parties in the matter.
Counsel to Governor Abubarkar Sani Bello (the first respondent), Mr. Ojonimi Apeh, urged the tribunal to dismiss the petition based on the evidence before it.
“Exhibits D1 and D2 have put to rest the question of whether or not the respondents submitted forged documents. By the totality of the evidence in this case, we urge the tribunal to dismiss this petition”, he said.
On his part, counsel to the All Progressive Congress (APC), Mr. J. J. Usman, prayed the Court to discountenance the petitioner’s final address on grounds that it exceeded the required 40 pages in violation of the 2011 court practices direction.
Usman accused the petitioners of trying to reopen a case they lost at the Federal High Court and Court of Appeal, insisting, “The tribunal and the Federal High Court have concurrent jurisdiction”.
He added, “The tribunal therefore cannot sit as appellate court on decision of the Federal High Court and Court Appeal”.
In his submission, counsel to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Wole Akinjide (SAN), said that the case of forgery cannot be resolved without evidence from the institution whose certificates were allegedly forged.