Palpable tension has enveloped different political camps in Katsina state, as both the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) wait anxiously for the verdict of the governorship election petitions tribunal.
The tribunal, led by Justice Florence Jombo-ofo had last Wednesday reserve judgement on the matter after parties in the case adopted their final written addresses and replies on point of law, saying it would soon fix a date for judgment and communicate same to the parties.
LEADERSHIP gathered that the two camps are in a state of anxiety, as none of them could predict with certainty where the pendulum would swing when the tribunal delivers its judgment in the petition filed by the former speaker of the House of Representative and gubernatorial candidate of CPC, Alhaji Aminu Bello Masari, challenging the election of Governor Ibrahim Shehu Shema of the PDP.
Masari and the opposition CPC who had approached the three man panel of the tribunal to contest the declaration of Governor Shema as the winner of the April governorship election in Katsina, joined PDP, Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), INEC returning officer and the Commissioner of police as respondents in the petition.
Masari and his party are seeking a declaration that the electoral umpire, INEC did not provide a level playing ground for all contestants at the April 26 polls.
Masari’s petition was brought on three grounds namely that the election was void by reason of non compliance to the provision of the electoral act as amended; that Governor Shema was not duly elected by majority of lawful votes and that the election was invalid by reason of corrupt practices.