By Abel Leonard Nzwanke
The Governorship Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Nasarawa State has reserved judgement on the petition filed by Emmanuel Ombugadu, Governorship Candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2019 governorship election challenging the victory of Governor Abdullahi Sule of the All progressive Congress APC.
Justice Abba Mohammed, Chairman of the tribunal stated this on Monday in Lafia, during the submission of final written addresses by counsels to the petitioner and the respondents.
The Chairman said that the tribunal would communicate to all the parties in the petition on the day the judgment would be deliver.
Earlier, Ola Olanikpekun (SAN), led counsel to the PDP candidate, said that there was no compliance with the accreditation requirements in more than 90 percent of the polling units during the March 9, governorship election in the state.
He said that they have tendered evidence to the tribunal with certified copies of voters register and the total votes that returned the governor has not tally with the accreditation.
“If there is no compliance with the accreditation therefore the law says that the election is invalid and should be declare as such.
“The election conducted on March 9, in Nasarawa State has not complied to accreditation process and that is what we are holding unto.
‘We want the tribunal to declare the election invalid and order a fresh election,” the counsel added.
According to Hassan Liman (SAN) and Mr Adebayo adelogun (SAN) counsels to All Progressives Congress (APC) and the governor, argued that the petition should be dismissed for lack of merit.
They however argued that the petitiones claime that accreditation was not carried out was just an imagination.
The counsel of the APC said that the petition be dismissed and the tribunal should award cost to the petitioner for wasting the time of the tribunal.
