Al Makura closes defence at Nasarawa election tribunal

The hearing before the Justice Halima Mohammed-led gubernatorial tribunal in Lafia, the Nasarawa state capital, between Mr. Labaran Maku of the All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA and Umar Tanko Al-Makura was made easier as the counsels to the first and second defendants, Governor Umaru Tanko Al-Makura and the All Progressives Congress, APC, closed their defences after each presented two witnesses.

The tribunal complied with the request submitted by the counsel to Governor Almakura, Yusuf Ali, SAN to close its defense after fielding only two witnesses against the proposed 20 witnesses.

The Guardian gathered that the legal team to the petitioner, Mr. Maku, who were eagerly waiting to bank on the flaws of the respondents’ witnesses to build on their case, were not happy with the development.

Speaking on the development, a counsel in Governor Al Makura’s legal team, Barr. Matthew Burkaa said having failed to prove the allegations raised in his petition before the tribunal it was safer to present only a few witnesses in situations were there is need for clarification by the respondent.

He maintained that the onus of proof is the responsibility of the petitioner and having failed to do that it would amount to technical suicide to go on presenting witnesses when there is nothing to proof.

Similarly, the APC on Monday only presented two witnesses from two polling units in Nasarawa’s Eggon Local Government and closed their defence on the same day even though each respondent has ten days to present their witnesses.