Tribunal upholds Kefas Agbu’s election as Taraba governor, dismisses NNPP’s petition

Justice G.A Sunmonu-led Taraba governorship election petition tribunal has upheld the election of Kefas Agbu of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as the state’s duly elected governor. 

Justice Sunmonu, in a judgment delivered on Saturday, dismissed the petition filed by Muhammad Yahaya and the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) for lacking merit.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declared Agbu the Taraba state governor in the March 18 governorship election after scoring 257,926 votes to defeat Yahaya, who got 202,277 votes.

Meanwhile, Yahaya and his party challenged the result, asking the tribunal to nullify Agbu’s victory on the grounds that the election was marred by non-compliance with the Electoral Act.

They also alleged that Agbu did not get the majority of lawful votes cast in the election.

However, the tribunal held that the petitioners failed to prove their allegations.

Speaking to journalists after the judgment, Sam Adda, counsel to the governor, said all the witnesses called by the petitioners could not prove the allegations.

“All the 128 witnesses did not prove any of the allegations against the return of the governor. We are happy that the allegations were not proven,” Adda said.

Also,  Emeka Okoro, counsel to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), said the tribunal held that the documents relied upon by the petitioners were hearsay.

“Documents were tendered without makers of the documents being called as witnesses because a document does not speak for itself,” Okoro said.

“If there is any issue with the document, you call as witnesses those who met the documents and people in whose presence the documents were made.

“So that if there are questions concerning figures that you are questioning, the circumstances upon which the documents were made, or inconsistencies, you ask the people who actually know what happened so that they can assist the court in resolving the issue. The petitioners failed to do that.”