Sokoto governorship: Tambuwal presents eight witnesses at tribunal

Governor Aminu Tambuwal of Sokoto state has presented eight witnesses in the case brought against him before the Governorship Election Petitions Tribunal by the All Progressives Congress (APC) gubernatorial candidate in the last general elections, Ahmed Aliyu.

His defence witnesses included INEC officials who were presented on subpoena, and the PDP State Collation/Returning Officer, Dr. Jabbi Kilgori.

Tambuwal, who is the 2nd Respondent in the case, was on Wednesday present at the tribunal before it went on break.

Lead Counsel for 2nd Respondent, Mr Emmanuel Ukala, SAN, closed his defence after calling eight witnesses.

Subsequently, Lead Counsel for PDP, the 3rd Respondent, Mr Akinmuyiwa Akinboro, SAN, applied for adjournment to Tuesday, August 6th, 2019, to present his witnesses.

But Lead Counsel of the Petitioners, Dr Alex Izinyon, SAN opposed the application, noting that from the date the petitioners closed their case, the tribunal had already allowed 20 days of adjournment.

He recalled that during the last adjourned date, it was agreed that the 3rd Respondent would commence defence immediately the 2nd Respondent closes his.

In his ruling, the chairman of the Tribunal, Justice Abbas Bawale, did not grant the application, and adjourned the case to August 1, 2019 for the PDP to open its defence.