Posted by From GODWIN TSA Abuja on
President Umaru Musa Yar'Adua and his deputy, Goodluck Jonathan on Thursday told former vice president Atiku Abubakar that the 27 questions he threw at the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Maurice Iwu have caused more harm than good in their quest to invalidate his election.
President Umaru Musa Yar'Adua and his deputy, Goodluck Jonathan on Thursday told former vice president Atiku Abubakar that the 27 questions he threw at the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Maurice Iwu have caused more harm than good in their quest to invalidate his election.
The president who rose in stout defence of the INEC chairman said all the contracts for the printing of ballot papers for the 2007 general elections were awarded to the Nigerian Security Printing and Minting Company and not printed in South Africa as alleged by Atiku.
This was contained in a written address submitted at the presidential election tribunal on behalf of the president by Chief Wole Olanipekun (SAN) as his response to the questions raised by the Action Congress (AC) presidential candidate.
According to Yar' Adua, 'Questions 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9 and 10 are based on the wrong assumption by the petitioners that the contract for the printing of ballot papers was awarded to a South African company and since it has been clearly stated in the answer to question 1 that it was the Nigerian Security and Minting Company that handled all contracts for the co-ordination and printing of the ballot papers, the said questions 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9 and 10 become totally irrelevant, as borne out by the answers provided."
It was his contention that since the INEC chairman had shown that the name of Atiku was displayed as one of the presidential candidates, 'he could no longer sustain the allegation that he was excluded from the election."
The document reads: 'The answers to questions 17, 18, 19 and 20 clearly show that the 1st petitioner's (Abubakar) name was published by INEC as one of the candidates contesting the election and that the public was adequately informed.
'These answers deal deadly blow to the unsubstantiated claim by the 1st petitioner that he was excluded from election.
'On his own request, a list showing his name among other candidates who contested the presidential election has now been attached.
'He cannot be heard again to assert anything to the contrary."
The president stated that Abubakar should not be allowed to attack or dispute the questions elicited by him on oath through his interrogatories.
Referring to Atiku and his running mate, Senator Ben Obi, President Yar'Adua said, 'They chose to doggedly and strangely request for interrogatories and since the answers have become part of the record and, indeed, their evidence, they cannot shy away from them.
'It is granted that a defendant is a competent and compellable witness for the plaintiff and vice versa. Howbeit, any party who chooses or gambles to call his opponent or adversary as a witness would also have to inherit the advantages or even liabilities of the evidence of such witness.
'Put succinctly and within the precincts of this case, the answers submitted through the interrogatories on oath constitute an admission against the interest of the petitioners and such an admission is binding on them."