The Kaduna State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal will resume sitting on Aug. 19, to begin adoption of written addresses by all parties in the petition instituted by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
The Secretary to the tribunal, Mrs Hafsat Suleiman, disclosed this in a telephone interview with News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Friday in Kaduna.
“The State and National Assembly and, the Governorship Election Petition Tribunals are resuming on Monday, Aug. 19.
“The State and National Assembly Election Petition Tribunal will resume to open fresh hearing on petition number two which was brought by a House of Representatives candidate in the Feb. 16 elections.
“It was sequel to an Appeal Court ruling on a motion of one of the parties.
“While the governorship tribunal is resuming for the adoption of addresses by the petitioners and the three respondents,” Suleiman said.
NAN recalls that the governorship tribunal had on July 25, adjourned hearing after admitting witnesses of all the three respondents in the petition filed by the PDP and its candidate, Alhaji Isah Ashiru, after the March 9 governorship election in Kaduna state.
PDP and Ashiru instituted the petition seeking to upturn the declaration of Nasir El-Rufai as winner of the Kaduna state governorship election.
The petitioners had called 135 witnesses out of the 685 they said they had assembled to provide evidence of alleged massive rigging, ballot stuffing and other irregularities, they alleged characterised the poll.
However, Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), El-Rufai and the All Progressives Congress (APC) as first, second and third respondents in the petition closed their defence before the tribunal after calling two witnesses each.
The Justice Ibrahim Bako-led tribunal would resume on the adjourned date, Aug. 19, for the parties to adopt their written addresses and subsequently close the case and await judgment. (NAN)
