By
Managing Editor
_____________________________________
At the resume hearing of the petition filed by Bello Muhammad Matawalle and APC challenging the election of Dauda Lawal as Governor of Zamfara, the tribunal invited Dr. Mikailu Ibrahim Barau who is the star witness for the APC for examination by counsels.
Earlier before the commencement of the proceeding, APC lead counsel Mr. Usman O. Sule (SAN) apologized to the tribunal for his inability to attend the two proceedings which he stated was as a result of the death of his elder brother.
He stated that with the resumption of the sitting on Friday, the petitioners are fully ready to open their case and asked the tribunal to invite his (DW2) Dr. Mikailu Barau to the witness box.
Mr. Usman Sule (SAN) through his witness tendered certified true copies of form EC8B for the ten wards of Maradun, list of registered voters for 195 poling units in Maradun and EC8B for all the thirteen local governments’ areas of the state.
He also tendered through the witness duplicate of the EC8C of Maradun local government which contained the over 98,000 votes scored by the APC as was issued to the APC Agent by the INEC.
Mr. Usman Sule also tendered certified true copies of form EC8C for the fourteen local governments, certified true copy of the registered voters for the four wards in Birnin Magaji as well as a complete certified true copy of the B-Vass report from the INEC.
Counsels to all the three respondents, Dauda Lawal, PDP and INEC told the tribunal that, they have reserved their arguments as to the objection to the admissibility of the documents to the stage of adopting a final address.
The tribunal also re-affirmed its position that, whatever the grounds parties have for the objection to the admissibility of the documents tendered by the petitioners, the arguments should be reserved until the stage of final address. The tribunal admitted all the documents and marked the same as exhibits.
