Tribunal Strikes Out Lawani’s Application Seeking Additional Witness

From Uche Nnorom, Makurdi

The National/State Assembly Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Makurdi yesterday, dismissed the application for additional witness statement brought before it by the senatorial candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Chief Steven Lawani.
Lawani is challenging the election of Sen. Comrade Abba Moro in the 2019 election on grounds that it was marred by irregularities.
It should be noted that the tribunal had sometime ago, rejected Lawani’s application for the inclusion of additional witnesses in the petition after the expiration of the mandatory 21 days provided for such amendments.
Ruling on the application, Justice Adeleye frowned at the attitude of the respondents, warning that the court would no longer entertain applications aimed at delaying the dispensation of justice of the petition which is time bound.
Commenting on the verdict, counsel to the second respondent, Peoples’ Democratic Party, PDP, Mr C.T. Mue, said a similar application which was thrown out by the tribunal, had been dismissed by the court of appeal with cost attached.
Mue said with the ruling, the petition appears to be losing a lot of weight because the issues the petitioner wanted to bring in through the backdoor have all been rejected.
Thé PDP lawyer commended the tribunal for being fair and firm in its dealings with all the parties in the case.
The court adjourned to July 15 for proper hearing of the petition.