Kano gubernatorial dispute: INEC returning officer denies canceling disputed results

Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Returning Officer who superintend over Kano State Governorship Election, in Nassarwa Local Government, Professor Ibrahim Khaleel, has dismissed the allegations of issues of over voting and violence attributed to the cancellation of outcome of the elections in Gama Ward.

The university don, who appeared before the State Election Petition Tribunal, on subpoena, said there were no formal reports of cases of violence and over voting during the governorship election held on March 9th in Gama Ward.

According to him, the INEC Returning Officer assigned to Gama only failed to reconcile the results scored by the gubernatorial contestants, disclosing that twice, he gave injunction to the ward Returning Officer to reconcile the discrepancies evident in the ward results.

Khaleel said “I did not receive a formal report about the violence in Gama; I did not cancel the results in Gama ward.”

Earlier, Khaleel told the judicial panel that “Hon Farouk Lawan and some others stood on me, which was intimidating, and the collation hall was crowded; some people came from behind me, I did not see their faces to know who they were, then pandemonium broke out.

“I ran out of the building and took cover, later we relocated to the state collation centre for safety,” the court heard.

He also said: “There were gunshots, there was chaos and the electoral documents were carted away by one Dr. Umar Tanko Yakasai, who was my former student, I know very well.”

The presiding judge, Justice Halima Shamaki, ordered the matter adjourned to August 26th for continuation of hearing.

Meanwhile, Kano State Governor, Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, has described the suit filed by Abba Kabiru Yusuf of the PDP challenging his March 2019 victory as lacking in burden of proof.

Ganduje said his PDP rivals have failed to establish their burden of proof before the tribunal.

The counsel representing Ganduje, Ibrahim Mukthar, reacting to questions from judicial reporters at the Miller road court complex said the Ganduje camp is far from being under pressure to counter the allegations filed by the petitioners.