From: Uche Nnorom, Makurdi
Eleven petitions have so far been filed at the Election Petitions Tribunal sitting in Benue State.
Peoples Daily checks yesterday indicated that the tribunal has received 11 petitions from some of the political parties that took part in the national, governorship and State House of Assembly elections in the state.
Secretary of the tribunal, Deborah Musa, who disclosed this, gave the breakdown of the petitions to include, four Senatorial election petitions and seven House of Representatives petitions.
Musa revealed that two (2) of the petitions were filed against the winner of the Benue South Senatorial seat, Comrade Abba Moro.
According to her, candidates of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Chief Steven Law and the candidate of the Advanced Peoples Democratic Alliance (APDA), Usman Abubakar, respectively filed petitions against the former Minister of Interior.
She further said that the tribunal has also received a petition from the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the National Assembly election, Senator George Akume, challenging the declaration of Barrister Emmanuel Orker Jev of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as the winner of the Benue North West Senatorial Seat.
Musa stated that the fourth petition was filed by another candidate of the APC for the Benue North East Senatorial Seat, Mimi Orubibi-Adzape, who is contesting the emergence of former Governor of the State, Gabriel Suswam, as winner of the election.
She stated that they are yet to receive any petition in respect of the governorship and State Assembly elections in the state.
In the case of the seven House of Representatives petitions, the Tribunal Secretary stated that they have received a petitions from Samson Okwu of the Peoples Democratic Party and Nick Eworo of the All Progressives Congress APC against Agada David of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) who was declared winner of the Oju/Obi Federal Constituency.
Musa said a petition was filed by Joseph Terfa Tyav of the APC against Emmanuel Sopko of PDP who was declared winner for the Buruku Federal Constituency.
She further said they received petitions from Dickson Pawa of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) and Solomon Wombo of the All Progressives Congress (APC) respectively against Richard Gbande of the PDP, who was declared winner for the Katsina-Ala/Ukum/Logo Federal Constituency.
The Secretary further confirmed that Benjamin Wayo of the All Progressives Congress had filed a petition, to challenge the winner of the Kwande/Ushongo Federal Constituency seat, Robert Tyough of PDP.
According to her, the Tribunal received a petition for the House of Representatives election from Terhide Utaan against Bem Mzondu of PDP, who won the Makurdi/Guma Federal Constituency.
Musa however said that the tribunal was yet to commence sitting due to the inability of the respondents to response to the notice of petitions served on them.
