John Makama, who served as the Peoples Democratic Party’s collation agent in Sanga Local Government Area of Kaduna State, during the February 23, 2019 presidential election, said the results of the poll in the stronghold of his party were cancelled by the officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission.
Makama was testifying before the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal in Abuja as the 24th petitioners’ witness in the case filed by the PDP and its presidential candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar.
The petitioners are, by their petition filed before the Justice Mohammed Garba-led tribunal of five judges, challenging the victory of President Muhammadu Buhari and his All Progressives Congress at the poll.
The petitioners’ 24th witness alleged in his evidence-in-chief that the election in Saga Local Government Area of Kaduna State was marred by illegal cancellation of votes.
Under cross-examination by the respondents’ counsel, Makama said the results were cancelled in his presence at the local government collation centre by the INEC’s local government collation officer and not at the polling units where the election took place.
He said, “It is an aberration that results from wards and polling units were cancelled.
“The election held at the polling units, but the cancellations happened at the local government collation centre.
“The results from the petitioners’ stronghold were illegally cancelled.
“It is an open fact that political parties have stronghold where they are dominant.”
He said of the 11 wards in Sanga Local Government Area, the APC was only strong in three.
Under cross-examination by Buhari’s lawyer, Yusuf Ali (SAN), Makama could not find an answer when told that cancellation of results in Sanga Local Government Area was not part of the case presented by the petitioners in their petition.
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