By Ibrahim Hassan-Wuyo

At the election tribunal today, the All Progressives Congress (APC) senatorial candidate for Kaduna Central, Muhammad Abdullahi, presented six witnesses to challenge the victory and qualifications of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, Lawal Adamu, referred to as Mr. La.

The three-man panel, led by Justice H. H. Kereng, heard testimonies from witnesses sourced from the schools attended by the PDP candidate and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria (ABU) was the first witness and was represented by a member of the university legal team, Associate Professor Abubakar Is’haq from the Faculty of Law.

The University was subpoenaed to provide records of files of Lawal Adamu while he was a student of the institution.

The second witness, National Examination Council (NECO) and was represented by the Director of Special Duties, Esther Wuyaa, presented certified result to the court.

The third witness that testified against the Senator was Demonstration Primary School through the Head Teacher, Dr. Ibrahim Yusuf.

The school tendered to the court the school registration records from 1982 to 1986, which showed no record of Lawal Adamu Usman as a student as he claimed in the documents he submitted to INEC prior to the 2023 general elections.

Also testifying, the Principal of Government Day Secondary School (GDSS), Gwagwalada, Bello Suleiman, told the tribunal that based on available records, there was no candidate with the name of Lawal Adamu Usman from the year 1986 to 1994 as claimed by Senator Lawal Adamu Usman and as submitted to INEC in form CF001 for the 2023 general elections.

Two additional witnesses, including INEC representative, were called upon following the issuance of subpoenas by the court through the Petitioner’s Counsel, Johnson Usman SAN.

During the tribunal proceedings, counsel to the first respondent, M. A. Magaji (SAN), cross-examined all the witnesses with no objections.

Responding to queries from journalists shortly after the court sitting, Johnson Usman (SAN), counsel to Muhammad Sani Abdullahi of the APC, explained that one of the grounds for the petition was the first respondents qualification to contest election given his presentation of forged certificates, and also substantial non-compliance with the electoral act.

All the schools that testified submitted their school registers to the court as evidence.

The tribunal adjourned sitting to July 11 for continuation of admission of additional witnesses of certificate forgeries against the defendant.