Benue Guber: Tribunal reserves judgement as parties adopt final addresses

From Uche Nnorom,Makurdi

The Governorship Election Tribunal sitting in Makurdi has reserved a date for judgement in the case between the Peoples’ Democratic Party, PDP, and the All Progressives Congress, APC.
This is just as the two (2) parties on Monday, adopted their final written address in the matter.
The PDP is alleging falsification of document by the All Progressives Congress in the run off to the February 25th Governorship election while the APC maintained that the joint ticket of Alia/Ode were properly screened and qualified to contest the election.
While adopting his written address, the petitioners’ counsel Okon N.S urged the court to grant the petition, arguing that the case is not about submission of false information to INEC.
Okon held that the sole ground is that of qualification or non qualification ss enshrined in section 177 sub (a), section 343 sub 1a and sub 3 of Electoral Act, adding that distinction is that the constitution has given ground to challenge election as well as sponsorship by a political party which must be done within 80 days.
He also averred that the there was no submission of APC candidate’s name because primaries were not held in 11 wards and for that reason, a rerun was ordered by the court on 1 and 2 February 2023.
“Only the name of the second respondent (Rev. Fr. Hyacinth Alia) was submitted and the name of the third respondent(Samuel Ode) was not submitted which makes the joint ticket defective. It also,, affected the sponsorship.
“Section 187 of the Electoral Act states that a candidate for an election must nominate another associate as his running mate after the primary election which ended on the 3rd February 2023.
“We proved our case in law by producing and tendering exhibit 2, 7, 10,11 and 20 to show that there was official disclaimer by Federal High Court in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. In Exhibit 20, the issue of submission of candidates arose and was not resolved. We wrote to FCT High court and they replied us saying that they do not know this document it is a case of presentation of forged document by the third respondent . Petiton should be granted and all issues raised and addressed be resolved in favor of petitoners against the respondents.”