Governor Darius Ishaku

Senator Aisha Al-Hassan

The Taraba state Governorship Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Abuja on Saturday adjourned hearing till 31  August  to enable counsels attend the Nigerian  Bar Conference.

Justice Musa Abubakar, the Chairman of the tribunal gave the adjournment following the plea by all the counsels in the suit challenging the election of the Governor of Taraba, Darius Ishaku.

At the resumed hearing, Abubakar admitted the witnesses presented by the petitioners.

The witnesses testified in the suit filed by the APC Governorship Candidate, Sen. Aisha Alhassan, contesting the election of Ishaku of the PDP.

However, the witnesses were cross examined by all the counsels involved in the suit, including Mr Mahmud Abubakar (SAN) counsel to Alhassan.

Other lawyers  in the suit are Mr Kanu Agabi (SAN) counsel to Ishaku; Mr Solo Akuma (SAN), counsel to PDP, and Mr Abayomi Akanmode, counsel to INEC

The five witnesses are Salisu Musa, Kuzafa Yahaya, Ishaiku Babasani, Usman Sanusi and Charles Istifanus, who all affirmed that they were APC party agents for the April 2015.

Mr Salisu Musa, from Kurmi Local Government Area of Taraba, Bente Galiyay ward said that there were irregularities and over voting in his polling unit.

He alleged that the election was full of irregularities and urged the tribunal to cancel the election. Musa said that the total vote cast in his unit was in excess by 14 votes.

On his part, Mr Ishaiku Babasani, of Kola ward, said that INEC should be held responsible for the anomalies done in his ward. He told the tribunal that his unit was Hawai Primary School 2.

During the cross examination Akanmode, counsel to INEC accused Babasani of giving a wrong polling unit as the unit where he served as an agent.

Similarly, Mr Usman Sanusi told the tribunal that the April 11 polls in the state was credible but that of his polling unit in Zing Local Government was not credible