By Ado Hassan, Sokoto
Main trial at the 2019 National and State Assemblies Elections Petitions Tribunal , sitting in Sokoto commenced Thursday in the case instituted by Senator Mohammed Ahmed Maccido- PDP, challenging the election of Senator Aliyu Magatakarda Wamakko – APC in the Sokoto North District Senatorial Election conducted on February, 23, 2019 with the Lead Counsel to the winner , Senator Aliyu Magatakarda Wamakko, Dr Hassan Liman, SAN, says the respondent was duly and properly elected .
Senator Maccido has in the suit, urged the Tribunal to nullify the election but Senator Wamakko insisted that, he was duly elected and properly declared as the winner by the nation’s Chief Electoral Umpire , INEC.
Addressing reporters shortly after a stand down of the proceedings during the trial , Dr Liman said , ” Senator Maccido has appeared today as the first witness in the case and he was examined by his Counsel .
” We have however cross examined him and he came under the fire and brimstone of myself and the Counsels for the 2nd and 3rd Respondents, Barrister Abdulhamid Zubair and Barrister Musa Danladi, respectively.
” In his petition , Senator Ahmed Mohammed Maccido has made some grievous and criminal allegations where he alleged that Senator Wamakko, who was declared as the winner in the poll was not properly elected .
” He also alleged in the Petition that ,the election results were cooked and reallocated to Senator Wamakko, thus was declared as the winner .
” We have however stringently cross examined him to show that all his grievous allegations do not hold water and we showed him that , Senator Wamakko was duly elected , just like he was properly declared by INEC. “
Meanwhile , INEC Head of Department , Electoral Operations, Alhaji Lawan Ladan, has tendered some electoral documents used in the eight local governments in the Senatorial District, during the poll, before the Tribunal .
They included polling unit booklets , counterfoils of used ballot papers , poll officials list , registers of voters and used electoral forms , among others.
This was sequel to an earlier order by the Tribunal to the Commission, to tender such documents before it.
Lead Counsel for the Petitioners, Barrister Ibrahim Abdullahi , has earlier prayed the court to direct the commission to do so .
However, the Tribunal Chairman, Justice Peter Akhimie Akhihiero, adjourned the matter to Thursday , 30th May, 2019, for continuation of hearing.
