Gov. Aminu Tambuwal of Sokoto State, on Wednesday, closed the defence of electoral victory at the Sokoto State Governorship Election Tribunal.
In all, he presented eight witnesses.
The All Progressives Congress, APC, Governorship candidate in the March 9 governorship election in the state, Ahmed Aliyu, had challenged his victory at the tribunal.
Counsel to Tambuwal, Mr. Emmanuel Ukala, SAN, closed his defence after presenting the eight witnesses among whom were officials of Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, that were summoned to testify.
The 8th defence witness, Dr. Jabbi Kilgori, the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, State Collation and Returning Officer in his evidence in chief, told the tribunal that the election in the state was free and fair.
He also said results were duly declared at the state collation centre in his presence and in the presence of other parties agents uncontested.
Ukala, through the witnesses tendered some documents which the tribunal chairman, Justice Abbas Bawale, admitted as exhibits.
All the witnesses were cross examined by counsel to the petitioner, Dr. Alex Izinyon, San, on their capability to give legal evidences, among other areas.
At the close of Tambuwal’s case, the lead Counsel for the PDP, the 3rd respondent in the case, Mr. Akinmuyiwa Akinboro, SAN, applied for adjournment.
This was, however, opposed by Aliyu’s Counsel, Izinyon, while counsel to INEC, Mr. Alhassan Umar, said he had no objections to the application.
Justice Bawale subsequently adjourned the case till Thursday, August 1, for PDP to open its defence after which parties would address the tribunal.
Recall that the governorship election in Sokoto was declared inconclusive following cancellation of 75, 403 votes which were higher than the 3, 413 votes margin between the leading candidates after the March 9 exercise.
A re-run was conducted on March 23, and Tambuwal won with a slim margin of 342 votes.
