Niger state Governor, Alhaji Abubakar Sani Bello is expected to take the witness stand at the Governorship Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Minna over allegation of forgery proferred against him by Umar Mohammed Nasko and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Lead Counsel to Governor Bello, Jibrin Samuel Okutepa SAN at the hearing on Thursday said his client would appear as a witness in the case.
Okutepa explained that after petitioners Nasko, the PDP governorship candidate in the last election in the state and his party presented only one witness and closed their case he will bring his client Governor Abubakar Sani Bello would appear.
He said his clients have nothing to hide as such they will appear to testify during the sitting.
Due to inability of the Subpoena witnesses to appear before the tribunal as required by the counsel to the petitioners, Barrister Mohammed Ndayako presented the state Chairman of PDP Barr Tanko Beji as the only petitioner’s’ witness.
Barr Tanko Beji had earlier adopted his four witness statements on oath and asked the tribunal to use them as evidence in the petition.
He identified forms CF001 filled by Abubakar Sani Bello and Ahmed Mohamed Ketso, University of Maiduguri Degree certificate in the name of Abubakar Sani Bello and dated 2nd November, 1993, National youth service Corp certificate dated 1st May 1993, APC membership card, Primary school certificate dated 2006 in the name of Ahmed Mohammed Ketso and a 2 copies of original National Examination Council (NECO) certificate of June and November 2008 and copies of declaration of age one deposed to in a Minna high court and signed by Abubakar Sani Bello and the other deposed to in a Kaduna high court and signed by Col. Sani Bello
Counsel to the respondents objected the admission of the documents as evidence and promised to address the tribunal on documents in their final written addresses.
Presiding Judge, Justice John Igboji adjourn the sitting today for the defence for respondents to open their defence.
