TRIBUNAL: SEN. DACHUNGYANG PAM FAILED TO APPEAR TO DEFEND CERTIFICATE AND QUALIFICATION, CLOSES DEFENSE

 

By: Amb. Valentine Adese (JP),

 

The Senator representing Plateau North Senatorial District in the Upper Chambers of the National Assembly, Sen. Dachungyang Pam Mwadkon, failed to appear to defend allegations over his non-qualification to contest the last Senatorial election which he won at the ongoing trial of the Petition filed by Yakub Muhammed Shafiu and the NNPP at the Plateau State National/Houses of Assembly Tribunal sitting in Bauchi State yesterday.

Sen. D. Mwadkon and his party, the ADP, were also reported to have also failed to call any other witness before closing their defense yesterday. REALITY just gathered. 

You would recall that, the issues within the just concluded rerun of the Plateau North Senatorial election have been dragged to the Election Petition Tribunal by the All Progressives Congress (APC) and its Senatorial candidate, Amb. Chris Giwa and the New Nigerian Peoples Party (NNPP) and its candidate, Yakub Muhammad Shafiu.

In the Petition filed by the NNPP and its Senatorial candidate, Yakub Muhammad Shafiu, the Petitioners have allegedly told the Tribunal that, Sen. Dachungyang Pam, the candidate of the Action Democratic Party (ADP) at the time of the election was not qualified to contest.

According to their deposition before the Tribunal, the Petitioners further alleged that, Sen. Pam, has not been educated up to the School Certificate level or its equivalent. 

REALITY gathered that, the Petitioners’ Counsel where prepared to question the Senator strongly on the issues concerning his Deed Poll of the change of name which he attached as Response to the Petition and his signature which they perceived as being irregular, but his absence stalled this.

 Speaking with REALITY from Bauchi, in Bauchi State, Barr Samson Musa said the non-appearance to testify and defend his qualifications may be a big blow to the Defense as, “Pleadings not backed with evidence is deemed abandoned”. 

You would recall that REALITY had reported that the Petition added that: “The 2^nd Respondent presented a forged certificate to the Independent National Electoral Commission (1^st Respondent).

“To qualify for election to the office of Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, the candidate must have been educated up to School Certificate level or its equivalent.

“The 2^nd Respondent in Form EC9 deposed that he obtained FSLC in 1975 and SSCE in 1982. However, the two certificates did not reflect the name of the 2^nd Respondent as the bearer of the certificates. Certified True Copies of the 2^nd Respondent’s Form EC9, FSLC and SSCE are hereby pleaded. The 1^st and 2^nd Respondents are given notice to produce copies at the hearing of this Petition.

“Dachungyang Pam Mwadkon and Pam Sunday Davou are not one and the same person.

“The 2^nd Respondent (Dachungyang Pam Mwadkon) in Form EC9 deposed that his former name was Pam Sunday Davou without any proof of a change of name.

“Change of name has its peculiar procedure provided by the law and must be mandatorily adhered to by anyone desirous of changing his/her name”.

TO BE CONTINUED…