Justice

Election in the AMAC/Bwari Federal Constituency on Feb. 23, did not comply with constituency House of Representatives, did not comply with the Electoral Act and the INEC guidelines.

Three witnesses while testifying in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) National Assembly Elections Petition Tribunal on Wednesday, alleged that the process was marred by improper accreditation of voters.

The tribunal commenced hearing in the petition filed by the All Progressives Congress (APC) and its House of Representatives candidate, Mr Amanda Pam.

The petitioners filed the petition before the three-man tribunal, sitting at the FCT High Court, Apo, challenging the victory of Mr Micah Yohanna Jiba of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Jiba, the immediate past chairman of Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC), was declared winner of the AMAC/Bwari federal constituency House of Representatives election by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), having polled a total vote of 174,377.

The candidate APC candidate polled 82,761 votes.

INEC, Jiba, PDP are respondents in the suit.

Being cross-examined by the counsel for INEC, Olumuyiwa Ajayi, Jiba’s witness Musa Abdullahi, informed the tribunal that there was no proper accreditation of voters in his polling unit on the day of the elections.

While saying that he could not remember the exact number of accredited voters in the unit, the witness said:”There was non-compliance with the electoral guidelines in my polling unit.”

Another witness, Bello Kabiru, told the tribunal that he signed the result sheet for his polling unit, 001 of Usuma Ward in Bwari Area Council, for record purpose as he had a complaint with the scores of parties.

He added that accreditation as not properly done in the polling unit.

According to him, “I have a complaint. My complaint is non-compliance. I have complaint about the scores of parties as the presiding officer wrote what pleased him.”

Thomas Ibba, who testified as the fourth petitioners witness, informed the tribunal that there was improper accreditation of voters as well as over voting in his voting point.

While stating that he did not know the number of total registered voters in the voting point, the witness said, “the numb of votes is more than the number of accredited voters.”

Meanwhile, at the instance of the counsel for the APC, Chike Egocha, the chairman of the tribunal, Justice O A Ezeoke, adjourned hearing until Thursday, for the petitioners to continue to present their case.