PDP vs El-rufai: Tribunal adjourns ruling on votes recounting

The Election Tribunal, sitting in Kaduna, has adjourned the ruling on application motion, filed by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)’s Governorship candidate, Isa Mohammad Ashiru, seeking votes recounting, to May 28, 2019.

This followed a motion brought before the tribunal by counsels to the PDP, seeking votes recounting in some local government areas of the state.

However, both counsels to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Nasiru El-rufai and All Progressives Congress (APC), who are the respondents, opposed to the motion by the PDP.

After listening to arguments from both parties, the tribunal chairman Ibrahim Bako said the tribunal will make its ruling on the said date on the petition No- EPT/KD/GOV/01/2019.

‎Speaking to journalists outside the tribunal premises, the PDP leading Counsel Emanuel Ukala SAN said they were seeking recounting at the tribunal in the interest of justice.

“What we are saying is that, in order to meet justice of the case, it’s proper to have that recount. But we are actually surprised that the Independent Electoral Commission, INEC, who conducted the election and the respondent, who said they won the election, would shy away from wanting that recount to be done.

“Let’s have the recount and whatever the ‎result shows, we will be happy to abide by it,” he said.

Aliyu Umar ‎SAN, counsel to INEC, said in all legal context especially election matters the (petitioners) are expected to state facts upon which they are challenging the election which they didn’t.

Also, Counsel to Nasiru El-rufai, Abdulhakeen Mustapha SAN, said they opposed the motion on the ground that the recounting should have been done at the polling stations not the tribunal.