By Emmanuel Onotevure
“While I entertain my reservation on the grounds for which the case was resolved in favour of my opponent, I will urge our teeming supporters and well wishers as well, to please remain calm as my legal team studies the judgment after which, I intend to proceed immediately on appeal where I am confident of getting justice. This step is necessary because if this apparent injustice is left unchallenged, our democracy in my view, would have been greatly undermined”.
Lawal Usman Adamu, candidate for the Kaduna Central Senatorial District, under the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has rejected the decision of the Elections Petition Tribunal on National/State Houses of Assembly sitting in Kaduna which upheld the victory of Malam Uba Sani, of the All Progressive Congress, APC. The tribunal which gave its judgment of 24th August, based its decision on what it termed as hearsay, of the petitioner, Lawal Usman Adamu to arrive at its judgment.
The petitioner, popularly called Mr. LA by his teeming supporters and loyalists alike, has described as a travesty and misplacement of justice. Mr. Lawal Usman Adamu, has however, urged his teeming supporters to remain calm and law abiding, despite the decision of the tribunal. In a message he personally signed, he urged all to remain calm as he discusses with his legal counsel on the next strategies as he seeks to appeal the decision of the tribunal. Excerpts of the message reads: “Good day to you all. This is to share with you the information that has just been brought to my attention in respect of the outcome of my petition against the eligibility of Uba Sani at the National Assembly Election Petition Tribunal for Kaduna state”.
“While I entertain my reservation on the grounds for which the case was resolved in favour of my opponent, I will urge our teeming supporters and well wishers as well, to please remain calm as my legal team studies the judgment after which, I intend to proceed immediately on appeal where I am confident of getting justice. This step is necessary because if this apparent injustice is left unchallenged, our democracy in my view, would have been greatly undermined”.
Expressing his willingness and determination to pursue the judgment to its logical conclusions, Mr. LA stressed; “I am still urging you to remain law abiding as we shall pursue this cause vigorously to its logical conclusion”.“Please keep faith in our ability and determination to continuously fight for the cause of justice! I thank u all for your never tiring support, concern and interest in this struggle. We shall prevail at the close of the day, God’s willing!
Many commentators in Kaduna have commended the PDP candidate for the race as he not only showed his doggedness and sound grasp of the grassroots, his philanthropy to less privileged and indigent persons in the society generally, has been a huge plus to his personality during the campaigns and the successes recorded. According to Comrade Musa Ali, the Tribunal Judge showed exceptional courage in the handling of the cases before him but however urged the PDP candidate not to give up in the quest to reclaim his mandate at the Court of Appeal as the chances of securing victory, remains very bright.
Kaduna state PDP chairman, Mr. Hassan Felix Hyat in his reaction, noted that, “the party is standing strong by its candidate in pursuing the mandate given to the PDP and our Kaduna Central Senatorial District candidate, Mr. LA, by the good people of Kaduna state as they made a choice, during the last elections”. Speaking with Comrade Danjuma Bello Sarki, a prominent member of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, he described the judgment as a travesty and miscarriage of justice. Comrade Sarki, expressed concerns over the decision as he wondered why somebody who had provided facts with credible information from witnesses as to the anomalies that took place.
“How can somebody who brought his agents and voters to come out to testify and you end up describing such testimonies as hearsay? Were they expecting Mr. LA to be physically present at all then polling units across the Senatorial District or, is the Senatorial District Returning Officer to be everywhere? Such vital information can only be sourced from your polling agents and other voters present where elections are conducted. Voters from the various local government councils under the senatorial zone are the ones who witnessed everything that occurred including the polling units agents. They are the people who can truly say if there were elections or not, or, if there were discrepancies that fell short of the electoral act. If such was the case, that election ought to have been cancelled”.
“What has happened is a clear indication that the judiciary has been bought over”. Comrade Danjuma however called on the teeming supporters of the party to remain calm and be law abiding as the PDP continues to pursue all its cases through legal means, to their logical conclusions as it ensures that the arm of the law is straightened out as it goes to Appellate Court in its search for justice.
