Tribunal okays Nasarawa gov’s election

remi Adegoke, Lafia - 13.02.2008

ELECTION Petition Tribunal in Lafia, Nasarawa State, has upheld the election of Governor Aliyu Akwe Doma of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

According to the chairman of the tribunal, Justice Rita Pemu, allegations of electoral fraud levelled by the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) governorship candidate in the April 14 2007 election against the governor could not be linked with the governor.

In her ruling, Justice Pemu said all the allegations of electoral irregularities in all local governments, wards and polling units could not be proved beyond reasonable doubt by the petitioner.

She said the number of registered voters and votes cast during the election indicated no rigging or over-voting as claimed by the petitioner.

The tribunal chairman said the tribunal could not admit the forensic expert report in evidence because it was not reliable as testified to by an expert, Mr. Walter Cook, during cross examination.

She said the expert confirmed that the test had always failed and could not be totally reliable and therefore was not binding on the court.

She said most of the evidences presented to the tribunal were based on hearsay and not what the witnesses and the petitioner experienced.

The tribunal concluded that the petition did not meet the legal requirements and could not establish that the governor as respondent and the 633 others joined in the case were guilty of the charges, saying the petition suffered a fatal loss and has collapsed.