Kaduna governorship tribunal: PDP claims INEC added 391,741 votes to return el-Rufai

Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate in the 2019 election in Kaduna State, Alhaji Isa Ashiru has told the Election Tribunal how 391,741 unlawful votes were allegedly added to the votes of Governor Nasir el-Rufai of the All Progressives Congress, (APC), during the polls.

Ashiru, who is the major contender of the election result said the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) also added a total of 124, 210 unlawful votes to him (the Governor) and his party during the election.

Recall that INEC had declared the el-Rufai winner of the election after he polled 1,045,427 votes, while Ashiru polled 814,168 votes.

The petitioners in the case had approached the Tribunal to challenge INEC for declaring el-Rufai winner, claiming that the poll was characterised by massive rigging, ballot stuffing and electoral violence in some parts of the state.

The PDP candidate is asking the tribunal to declare him the winner of the Gubernatorial elections, having scored the highest of the lawful votes cast.

Ashiru, made the revelation in his final written address to the tribunal through his counsel, Emmanuel Ukala (SAN) Donald Denwigwe SAN, Chief Ferdinand O. Orbih SAN, Elisha Y. Kurah SAN and other 14 lawyers, pointing out that a deduction of 391,741 votes from 1,045,427 allegedly scored by el-Rufai, and a deduction of 124,210 from his original 814, 168 votes will placed him (Ashiru) ahead of other governorship candidates.

The Petitioners and the Respondents are expected to appear at the tribunal tomorrow for adoption of the final written addresses.