Presidential poll: Atiku is a bonafide Nigerian, witness tells tribunal

Andrew Orolua, Abuja.

Hearing continued on Tuesday before the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal in Abuja with Ambassador Mabien Zamaki informing the tribunal that Atiku Abubakar is a bonafide Nigerian by birth.

Ambassador Zamaki was one of Atiku witnesses that testified on Tuesday before the tribunal in the petition filed by Atiku Abubakar and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) against the February 23 election of President Muhammadu Buhari

The retired career diplomat also told the tribunal that Atiku was legally qualified to contest the presidential poll having being born on November 25, 1946, at Jada in the northern part of Nigeria.

Led in evidence by Atiku’s lead counsel, Chief Chris Uche (SAN), Ambassador Zamaki further told the tribunal that Atiku’s record in his former secondary School was not confidential and can be accessed by anybody doubting the nationality of the PDP presidential candidate.

The witness, who claimed to have retired from active service in 2006, admitted that he saw the record from the custodian of the record in their secondary school and that the record is still there for anybody to cross check.

Zamaki further told the tribunal that he has fair knowledge of history of Nigeria as it relates to Jada in Adamawa and insisted that in 1946 when Atiku was born, Jada was part and parcel of Northern Nigeria and not part of Cameroon as suggested by the APC’s counsel.

He vehemently denied that any part of northern Nigeria including Jada was ever ceded to Cameroon.

Under cross- examination by INEC lawyer, the witness confessed that he was not at the point where Atiku was born but admitted that Major General Muhammadu Buhari between 1983 and 1985 was a military Head of State.

Another witness, Mohammed Kabir Hayatu, a retired customs officer, corroborated the Nigerian nationality of the former vice president Atiku.

Hayatu, who was also led in his evidence in – chief by Atiku’s lawyer, told the tribunal that he came in contact with Atiku’s record in the Nigerian Customs Service where Atiku retired as a senior Customs officer.

Under cross examination, Hayatu said that Adamawa was part of northern Nigeria and that Jada fell on the part of Nigeria and not northern Cameroon.

As at the time of this report, five witnesses comprising Mabien Zamaki, Mohammed Hayatu, Likita Alli, Temago Sunday Anyamaga and Abubakar Sadiq Abdullahi from Adamawa and Nasarawa states had testified for the petitioners.

Another witness for the petitioners, Peter Ali in his evidence, alleged that an official of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Abubakar Kaura, was found with a whopping sum of $10,000 on the day of election.

Ali, who said he was the ward collation officer, also alleged that the $10,000 dollars was a bribe for the INEC officer to manipulate the outcome of the election results in the area of Nasarawa State.

Under cross examination by INEC counsel, Yunus Usman (SAN), Ali admitted he reported the matter to the police which he claimed was later transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Bureau for further investigation.

When asked if he knew whether anyone was charged for the said allegation, he said he did not know and, even added that he doesn’t have any report concerning the outcome of the investigation.

Also, the INEC counsel asked him whether he signed form EC88 under duress, the witness said he signed it voluntarily mainly because his party won in the ward.

Further, Ali said that his statement on oath before the tribunal was not a hearsay evidence and that he went on a tip off to personally witness the alleged $10, 000 found in the custody of the INEC officer.

The witness also asserted that out of the 24 units in the ward, he was only able to receive results of 23 units excluding the unit where the allegation was allegedly perpetrated.

Earlier, President Buhari, had presented a video at the tribunal showing the chairman of INEC, Prof. Mahmoud Yakubu, on February 6 in an interview on Channels television explaining the challenges likely to be faced ahead of the election in the area of communication and transmission of election results.

The video clip was thereafter admitted in evidence with objection to be raised later by the petitioners at the address stage.

Also testifying, Sunday John said armed men later identified as APC agents struck at a polling unit in Karu local government of Nasarawa State and scattered the election materials on arrival and damaged the smart card reader deployed for the election.

He said as a result of the violent attack, the election could not hold at the polling unit.

Another witness, Harry Gunde, also from Karu local government of Nasarawa State, told the tribunal that election result was altered and falsified at the local government collation centre by security personnel, INEC officials and APC agents.

While Mohammed Opaluwa, who told the tribunal there was massive thumb printing of ballot papers for APC in his unit, another witness, Jonathan Nasara, a former counsellor, who served as ward agent claimed, election result announced by INEC officials were allotted by APC agents and security personnel to parties that contested the election.

Hearing continues today.