From Daniel Abel, Lafia
As parties to the Governorship Election Petition Tribunal,(GEPT) presented their final addresses before the three man panel, the People’s Democratic Party, (PDP) asked the tribunal to compare differences between form EC8AS and EC8BS to determine the winner.
This prayer was contained in the final address by the lead counsel to the petitioner, chief Kanu Agabi while giving final address at the GEPT in Lafia on Thursday.
Chief Agabi noted that the respondent counsel presented a document to backup his response even when the respondent counsel raised observations to it.
He however, stated that the precedent established by the higher court are binding on the tribunal and are called the rules of precedence.
He opined that the Witness statement of witnesses of the petitioners are those who were available to the petitioners at all time and all the Subpoenaed Witnesses are adversaries to the entire matter.
He submitted that no Subpoenaed witness is allowed to be on oath.
Agabi also said that polling units results (Form EC8As) are tendered before the tribunal and they are the original results from the reliable places where elections were won and lost.
He also said that what is before the tribunal are certified documents and the form EC8AS results were different from what’s in form EC8B, EC8C, EC8D hence he called on the tribunal to focus on the documents before them which need no Witnesses to know who the winner is.
He also established a cogent fact that the respondents couldn’t file in a cross petition which made it clear that they have no case against the petitioners.
The lead counsel concluded by appealing to the tribunal to consider the difference between the form EC8AS and EC8BS and declare PDP winner of the election, while urging the APC to be bold enough to concede defeat.
Earlier the first respondent (INEC)’s counsel Issiaka Mohammed Dikko(SAN) in his address stated that what the petitioner were claiming to have won are unrealistic figures, noting that the petition have no substantial backup to their claims.
The second respondent (Engr.A.A Sule) Chief Wale Olanipekun(SAN), pointed out some areas where objections were raised by them during the petitioner’s case.
He also appealed to the tribunal to kindly dismiss the petition filed by the petitioners in view of the fact that so many of the evidences brought by the petitioners were never in accordance with the law.
Olaonapekun finally stated that in view of the fact that they have no proper witness depositions, that even the BVAS they claimed to bring were never admissable into this court.That the petitioner has never mentioned in any polling units where they had 25% of votes cast.
The third respondent (APC) Dr.Hassan Mohammed Liman.
Said in his address that he is also adopting the appeal filed by the second respondent that the tribunal should dismiss the entire petition and should be charged for the waste of the resources of people of Nasarawa state.
He also stated that the petitioners have determined their case against themselves hence they have made their submissions base on allegations not on the basis of fact.
Meanwhile in the heat of the claims and counter claims by the petitioners and respondents in their argument Judges had to settled the matters by opening their written records which clearly indicted the first respondent for denying what he had already stated and was admitted by the tribunal.
On this note the chairman of the tribunal, justice Ezekiel Ajayi declared that the proceedings is reserved for Judgement and the date would be communicated to the parties appropriately