By David Odama, Lafia

The People’s Democratic party (PDP), thursday, asked the court to declare it candidate, David Emmanuel Ombugadu winner of the March governorship election in Nasarawa state. 

The party’s lead Counsel, Kanu Agabi (SAN) held, during the final written addresses of the parties, that based on the evidences contained in IREV and BVAs  submitted before the tribunal, it is evidently clear that PDP won the election and should be declared winner.

The  lead-counsel to the petitioner, Kanu Agabi (SAN), further told the tribunal that he has adopted all the argument in his written address.

The petitioner’s counsel urged the tribunal to annul the Nasarawa State governorship election for non-compliance with the electoral act and declare the candidate of PDP as the real winner of the election.

Agabi also explained that there was no relationship between the votes in the IREV and the final result that was declared.

The petitioner’s counsel argued that the PDP candidate had the highest number of votes cast  at the election, based on the records in the IREV and the information of the BVAS machines that were used at various polling units in the state.

On their various submissions, counsels to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), APC, and Governor Abdullahi Sule, Isiaka Dikko (SAN), Hassan Liman (SAN) and Messrs Wole Olanikpekun (SAN) respectively, adopted their final written addresses and called on the tribunal to dismiss the petition for lacking in merit.

Counsel to APC, Olanikpekun also argued that the petitioner had dumped BVAS machines and IREV records at the tribunal without showing what was contained in the records.

He said that the petitioner only presented the records in the IREV and BVAS machines to the tribunal without displaying them for everyone at the tribunal to see.

He therefore, said that the petitioner had failed to prove  beyond reasonable doubt and urged the tribunal to dismiss the petition.

At the end of various submissions by the parties involved, the tribunal reserved judgement on the petition challenging the outcome of 2023 governorship polls in the state.

Recall that the Governorship candidate of  the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Mr David Ombugadu, is challenging the declaration of Governor Abdullahi Sule of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as winner of the 2023 governorship polls.

Recall also that the Thursday sitting was slated for the adoption of final written addresses by counsels to the petitioner as well as the first, second and third respondents. 

Chairman of the three-man Election Petition, Ezekiel Ajayi, reserved the judgement after counsels to the petitioner and respondents adopted their final written addresses.

The Chairman, therefore, announced that the tribunal would communicate the parties through their counsels on the day of judgement.