From Abdulgafar Oladimeji, Kano

The petitioners  and respondents in the legal tussle over the  2019  governorship elections  in Kano state on Wednesday, adopted their final  defense before the  gubernatorial Election Tribunal presided by Justice Halima Shamaki sittiing at Miller road Court complex.

Abba Kabiru Yusuf(1^st petitioner) alongside Peoples Democratic party(PDP)(2^nd petitioner) had  dragged Independent National Electoral Commission(INEC) (1^st respondent)Abdullahi Umar  Ganduje(2^nd respondent)  All Progressives Congress(APC)(3^rd respondent) challenging the  declaration of Ganduje   as the winner of  Kano governorship election.

The respondents in their final written addresses urged the court to dismiss the pleadings made by the petitioners, stating that the petitioners have failed to discharge the burden on proof.

The respondents further  urged the court that the exhibits  that were tendered from the bar  by the petitioners were not  Certified True Copies (CTC) therefore prayed the tribunal to dismiss the petition. In its entirety.

Counsel to the 1st respondent(INEC) Ahmed Raji(SAN) told the court that the issues raised by the petitioners  were bankrupt in merit and argued that the petition lacked the  fertility of life.

Raji(SAN) submitted that , Abba Kabiru failed to produce direct evidence to substantiate his claims that INEC  wrongfully declared his opponent, Abdullahi Umar Ganduje as the winner of the poll, arguing that the electoral act was strict on the petitioners appealing to  the tribunal to on this grounds dismiss the petition.

Abdullahi Umar Ganduje(2^nd respondent) responding to the petition filed against his gubernatorial victory  before the tribunal  said the petitioners failed to produce  results that were contrary to that which was declared by INEC.

Ganduje through his counsel, Offiong Offiong(SAN) submitted that, Abba Kabiru invoked presumptions in attempt to prove to the court that he was duly elected  as Kano state governor, praying the court to dismiss the claims made by the petitioners.

The 3^rd respondent, All progressive Congress, APC also in its defense told the tribunal that the petitioners in their claims made an unlawful translation of the provisions of the law.

The respondents through its counsel Alex Iziyon(SAN) further said the petitioners failed to tender voters register that indicate the number of voters, who voted and number of votes scored to substantiate  their  claim as winners of the elections.

According to him, INEC posses the inherent jurisdiction to cancel elections and proceed to order for a rerun, arguing that on March 9^th 2019 INEC acted rightly by declaring the Kano state governorship election as inconclusive.

Iziyon(SAN) further argued that the  petitioners in their claims to election victory acted in contrast to the provisions of the law by presenting Pink Copies result sheets, explaining that jurisprudence has transited from submission of Pink Copies to another stage, on this ground he pray the court to dismiss the petition and uphold the emergence of All  Progressive Congress, APC and its candidate Abdullahi Umar Ganduje  as winner of the election.

Responding to the submissions made by the respondent,  counsel to the petitioners, Kanu Agabi(SAN) urged the court to ignore the  response from the respondents on the issues raised.

Agabi(SAN) said on the 9^th of March 2019 elections were held and results were announced, adding that Abba Kabiru Yusuf of the PDP scored the highest number of votes unfortunately INEC refused to declare PDP as the winner of that election.

He argued that the rerun election  held on the March 23 was null and void, stressing that therefore the results from the rerun, which declared Abdullahi Umar Ganduje as duly elected  Kano state governor  was null and void, that the court should declare the results of March 9, 2019 as the valid results and return PDP and its candidate, Abba Kabiru Yusuf as the winner of the election, urging the tribunal to so hold.

DAILY ASSET observed that anxiety, apprehension and palpable fears have enveloped the ancient city of Kano as  residents are gripped under the fear of the likely outcome of the legal battle between both political giants.

It would be recalled that at the height of the court proceedings, the chairman of the tribunal Justice  Halima Shamaki reacting to the tense atmosphere that had trailed the proceeding threatened to relocate the tribunal from Kano to Abuja.

Throughout the proceedings, heavily armed security operatives were stationed at strategic positions as they disallowed  hundreds of  party faithful who  were usually eager to gain entrance into the court complex to witness the epic legal battle.

In her ruling, Justice Shamaki said the tribunal would communicate to the parties, concerned  the date that the final judgment would be delivered