Gov Sanni-Bello to appear before election tribunal in Minna

By Saka Bolaji – Minna

It has been confirmed that Governor Abubakar Sani -Bello of Niger state will tomorrow appear before the Governorship Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Minna.

He is coming to defence his alleged certificate forgery charge brought against him by his main challenger, Umar Nasko and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Lead counsel to the governor, Jibrin Okutepa (SAN) stated this while tendering his request during the tribunal’s sitting in Minna.

Okutepa (SAN) explained that after the petitioners, Umar Nasko and the PDP presented only one witness and closed their case, he will bring his clients Governor Abubakar Sani Bello and the All Progressives Congress (APC) tomorrow.

According to him, his clients have nothing to hide as such they will appear to testify during the sitting.

Due to inability of the subpoenaed witnesses to appear before the tribunal as required by the counsel to the petitioners, the counsel presented the state Chairman of PDP, Tanko Beji as the only witness for the applicant.

Beji had earlier adopted his statements on oath and asked the tribunal to use them as evidence in the petition while counsel to the petitioners tendered documents which the witness mentioned in his statement on oath as evidence.

While counsel to the respondents objected to the admission of the documents as evidence, he promised to address the tribunal on the said documents in his final written addresses.

The presiding judge, Justice John Igboji after listening to counsels adjourned the sitting to the next day for the respondents to open their defence.