From Mohammed Nasir Shuaibu BAUCHI
The gubernatorial candidate of All Progressive Congress (APC) Rtd Air Marshal Sadiq Abubakar has made his first appearance since the commencement of court sitting on 15 may 2023 in Bauchi.
The former Airforce boss made a surprised appearance during the last closing of submission of petitions and adoption of final written agreement by the political parties in the court.
Abubakar Baba Sadiq who is the Bauchi Governorship candidate of the All Progressive Congress (APC) is challenging the return of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate Sen Bala Abdulkadir Mohammed and his deputy Rt. Hon Mohammed Auwal Jatau as they were declared by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, in the March 18 governorship elections in Bauchi State.
The lead Counsel to the petitioners Lateef Fagbemi while adopting their Final written and oral addresses urged the court to hold that in the polling Units where booklet were not fill the election there should be declared invalid.
He further argued that if those votes are deducted from the result declared by the first respondent (INEC), the result will give the first petitioner victory and also urged the court to consider that the election was forged on the bases of irregularities and it is the first Petitioner Sadique Baba Abubakar that should be return.
While, counsel to Governor Bala and the PDP, Chris Uche SAN, asked the court to dismiss the petitions by the All Progressive Congress APC for lacking merit.
He further argued that the petitioner failed to prove the allegations against the victory of Governor Bala at the match 2023 gubernatorial elections.
“This their case as presented is deficient in evidence both oral and documenting, there is no ground of allegations which they came with to court and they were able to proved.
“Which out of the 499 polling units contested they were able to call only 8 witnesses and non of them has anything to do with the elections “,.
However, the Bauchi State Governorship Election Tribunal has reserved judgment in the petitions against the election of Governor Bala Abdulkadir Mohammed and his deputy Rt. Hon Mohammed Auwal Jatau.
The tribunal said it would communicate a date for judgment to the parties after counsels adopted their final written addresses.
INEC is the first respondent in the petition, while Governor Bala and Jatau are listed as the second and third respondents respectively. The APC is listed as the fourth respondent.
Speaking after the court sitting, the Chairman of the rulling Peoples Democratic Party Alh Hamza Koshe Akuyam and other dignitaries called on public to remain calm assuring that Governor Bala’s victory at the tribunal is fully assured.
