From Umar Dankano, Yola
The 2023 Governorship Election Tribunal sitting in Yola,the Adamawa state capital has subpoenaed two officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC and an Assistant Director of the Department of the security services, DSS over the conduct of election in the state.
In the petition No: ETP/ AD/GOV/02/2023, the subpoena order dated 5th July, 2023 and signed by the chairperson of the tribunal was addressed to them through the leadership of their respective institutions.
The trio were urged by the Tribunal to avail themselves at it’s sitting slated for Monday,the 13th July by 9:00am and to give testimony in the petition filed by the SDP Gubernatorial candidate in the state, Dr. Umar Ardo.
It could be recalled that, the governorship elections conducted in the state on the 18th March which declared inconclusive and repeated on the 15th April 2023 recorded controversies which culminated into an attacks on politicians, Security personnel,journalists and INEC officials sent to supervise the conduct of Guber polls, including INEC National Commissioner and Assistant Director of Department of security services,DSS.
Those invited by the Tribunal to give testimonies on the conduct of Election are; the suspended Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) of Adamawa State, Barr. Hudu Yunusa Ari, a national commissioner of Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof Abdullahi Zuru and an official of the Department of Secret Security Service (DSS), Halilu Suleiman.
The SDP Gubernatorial candidate also prays the tribunal to determine four substantive issues which includes ; wether or not the harassment and violence against government officials: INEC National Commissioner and Official of the Department of State Security during the collation of the results of the Adamawa State Governorship election on 15 April 2023 and 16 April 2023 did not compromise the result that INEC declared and so renders it liable to be set aside?
Ardo also prays the court to determine whether the decision by INEC to nullify the result of the Adamawa State
Governorship election declared by INEC on 16 April 2023 was not made in breach of due process and liable to be set aside.
The SDP Gubernatorial candidate also prays the court to determine whether or not this honorable tribunal has jurisdiction to entertain the “Petitioners’ Petition” and whether or not the “Petitioners’ Petition” complied with the provision of the Electoral Act 2022.
Ardo also prayed on the tribunal to set aside the result declared announcing Fintiri as winner of the polls and to order INEC to conduct fresh governorship election in the state.
