The Yobe State Governorship Tribunal sitting in Abuja, on Tuesday, commenced hearing in the petition filed by the Peoples Democratic Party’s candidate in the April 11, 2015 poll, Alhaji Adamu Waziri, challenging the victory of the incumbent governor, Ibrahim Gaidam, of the All Progressives Congress.
The Mojisola Dada-led tribunal admitted 204,900 incident forms used instead of card reader machines for the conduct of the election in 14 out of the 15 Local Government Areas whose results are being challenged by the petitioners.
Only the incident forms used in Geidam had yet to be tendered by the petitioners.
Counsel for the PDP and its candidate, Chief Niyi Akitola (SAN), also tendered among other exhibits, result sheets, press statement issued by the Independent National Electoral Commission on the directive on the use of card readers used for the conduct of the election in the state.
The tribunal admitted all the documents tendered by the petitioners as exhibits without any objection from the defendants.
The petitioners tendered documents relating to the conduct of the poll in 15 of the 17 local government areas of the state.
Apart from the results from Potiskum and Faki local government areas, the petitioners are challenging the results from the rest of the local government areas of the state.
The rest of the local governments are Tarmuwa, Jakusko, Machina, Yunusari, Bade, Bursari, Damaturu, Fune, Geidam, Gujba, Gulani, Nangere, Nguru and Yunusari.
The result sheets tendered comprised EC8A (polling unit result sheets), EC8B (ward result sheets), EC8C (local government result sheets), EC8D and EC8 E (summary of results).
The respondents to the petition are Gaidam, APC, INEC, the Yobe State Resident Electoral Commission, and an Assistant Superintendent of Police, Zakari Nubi.
Geidam and APC were represented by Yusuf Ali (SAN), INEC and the Yobe State REC were represented by M. Y Saliu and Nubi was represented by Chief Titus Ashaolu.
The petitioners have 13 days left to tender all their exhibits and call their witnesses.
The tribunal adjourned further proceedings till July 30.
Waziri and the PDP are through their joint petition challenging the victory of the incumbent governor, Ibrahim Gaidam, of the All Progressives Congress, in the election.
INEC had declared that Gaidam won the election with 334,847 votes defeating Waziri, who polled 179,700 votes. Agency report.
