Ashiru vs el-Rufai: INEC, el-Rufai oppose PDP’s application

The Kaduna State governorship election petition tribunal has adjourned till Tuesday, May 27, 2019 for ruling on the motion for recount of ballot papers brought before it by the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Isa Muhammad Ashiru.

The tribunal Chairman, Justice Ibrahim M. Bako, adjourned the sitting after a hot debate for or against the motion filed by Ashiru.

Counsels to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Governor Nasir el-Rufai and All Progressives Congress (APC), Messr Aliyu Umar (SAN), Abdulhakeem Mustapha and Lawal Bawa argued against the motion at resumption of the pre-trial yesterday.

It would be recalled that the petitioners, Ashiru and PDP, on Tuesday, May 14, filed a motion seeking the tribunal to order for the recount of the entire ballot in the March 9 governorship poll in the state.

Justice Bako had adjourned till yesterday to allow the three respondents in the PDP petition present their cases.

Also at the resumed hearing in the motion, which is part of the pre-hearing sittings, PDP applied to amend its earlier application for the recount of the entire ballot to 12 local government areas, mostly in the central and northern parts of the state.