From Godwin Tsa, Abuja
It was a near tragic outing for former governor of Kogi State, Idris Wada, yesterday, as thugs hauled stones at his vehicle at the state governorship election tribunal sitting at the Jabi district of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja.
The incident occurred at about 1:35 pm at the premises of a High Court of the FCT, venue of the tribunal shortly after it adjourned for a break.
Former governor Wada was at the tribunal where he is challenging the return of Alhaji Yahaya Bello of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as winner of the November 21 and December 5, state governorship election.
The thugs besieged his vehicle outside the tribunal chanting solidarity songs in favour of APC and later went wild, hauling stones at his vehicle.
His driver, sensing danger sped off even as security operatives were left helpless.
Reacting to the development, the governor described the attack on him as barbaric and act of bestiality.
His Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Mr. Jacob Edi who spoke on the matter condemned the development.
“To think that this took place in the premises of a court of law is highly condemnable, whoever their paymasters are. For us, no condition will make us resort to thuggery.
“Thuggery is obsolete and no longer lucrative. One of the cardinal achievements of Capt. Wada is that he put an end to thuggery because he believed that energies of the youth should be put into productive use and not destructive acts.”
Meanwhile, the tribunal has adjourned hearing of the petition between the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) and Yahaya Bello to April 11 and 12, 2016.
The petition by Labour Party (LP) against Yahaya Bello was adjourned to April 6 and 7, 2016.
In the petition by Wada, proceedings were stalled following the inability of counsel to parties to resolve the issues arising from the schedule of documents to be tendered by the petitioner.
Accordingly, the tribunal adjourned till April 13.
Wada’s petition, which is being handled by Chief Chris Uche (SAN) leading two other Senior Advocates of Nigeria among other lawyers, had the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Alhaji Bello and the All Progressives Congress (APC) as respondents.
Wada was the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate in the November 21 governorship election declared inconclusive by the INEC. It was later concluded on December 5, after a supplementary election in 91 polling units across the state.
Also James Abiodun Faleke, the running mate to the APC candidate in the election, late Prince Abubakar Audu, had also filed a petition at the tribunal, challenging the decision of the INEC in declaring the November 21, election inconclusive.
Faleke, who held that INEC erred in its inconclusive declaration, maintained that November 21 election by all standards was concluded and prayed the tribunal to declare that the APC on the Audu/Faleke ticket won the election.