National Assembly Elections Petition Tribunal sitting in Ilorin, Kwara state, will deliver judgement in a petition filed by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate in the March 28 Kwara Central Senatorial election, Alhaji Abdulrahman Abdulrasaq, against Dr Bukola Saraki of the All Progressives Congress (APC) today.
The three-man tribunal panel is led by Justice Josiah Majebi.
The PDP candidate, in a petition marked NAT/LEG/EPT/IL/2/2015, is challenging Senator Saraki’s victory, claiming that he won majority votes and should, therefore, be declared winner.
The Justice Josiah Majebi-led three-man tribunal panel would on the whole deliver four judgements.
Other matters are; Lola Ashiru VS Rafiu Ibrahim (Kwara South Senatorial District); while two others, Babatunde Olusola VS Olufunke Adedoyin and Tajudeen Abioye Vs Tope Olayonu are House of Representatives cases.
It was gathered from lawyers involved in the matters that the tribunal had communicated the judgement date to them as promised by the chairman on September 4, 2015, when final written addresses were adopted.
While adopting his final written address, Counsel to Saraki, Malam Yusuf Ola-Olu Ali, had asked the tribunal to dismiss the petition, saying that the petitioner failed to prove his case beyond reasonable doubt.
Ali also observed that a Forensic Report tendered in evidence was dated March 28, 2014, a year before the contested poll was conducted.
“The date shows the document was prepared in anticipation of the election,” he said.
He also said the four-volume forensic analysis report suffered “incurable and fundamental afflictions.”
He said the report was prepared by a Lagos based forensic analyst, Mrs. Nkolly Asika Obumse, who is also the wife of Abdulrasaq’s counsel, Francis Obumse.
Also, counsels to INEC and APC, second and third respondents, Abdulwahab Bamidele and Alarape Salman, respectively, agreed with Ali’s submission, praying the tribunal to dismiss the petition.
Francis Obumse who led petitioner’s counsels also adopted his final written address.