Plateau election petition tribunal chair pledges neutrality
By Kingsley Chukwuka, Jos
The three-man National Assembly Election Petition Tribunal for Plateau state begun its inaugural sitting on Monday in Jos.
Chairman of the panel, Justice T. M. Nzeogwu, said at the opening of the session that their mandate was to deliver justice to the people. He said the panel would proceed with the petitions before it.
Nzwogwu pledged that tribunal members wouldn’t discuss matters pending before it with unauthorized persons, stressing that he would not condone any form of corruption and not accept any kind of gratification from anyone.
He therefore, warned litigants to steer clear from approaching the panel with any inducement as the tribunal members were people of integrity.
Our correspondent reports that other members of the tribunal are Justice M.L. Lawal and Justice I.M. Adejumo and that pre-hearing of petitions started immediately after the inaugural session with four petitions.
The petitions include, that filed by Pam Dongs of the APC against Dachung Bagos of the PDP; the PDP’s Jonathan Dabo against the APC’s Murtala Haruna; Bitrus Tawal of the APC against Simon Mwadkon of the PDP and Sanusi Inuwa of the APC against I.D. Gyang of the PDP.
In the matter involving Dongs, who is challenging Bagos, as member-elect for the Jos East/Jos South Federal Constituency, INEC’s application for preliminary objection agasint the petition was declined by the tribunal.
Counsel to Bagos (1st respondent), Mr. Sunny Odey, had earlier filed for a preliminary objection by way of motion on notice challenging the competence of the petition against his client.
Also, the counsel to INEC, Mr. Desmond Yamah, also prayed the tribunal for leave to file a preliminary objection to regarding the competence of the petition, but the prayer was denied by the panel.
The chairman of the tribunal ruled that INEC has lost its right to file an objection as it failed to do so in its trial answers to the pre-hearing questions which was already before the tribunal.
In the petition filed by Dabo, who contested for the House of Representatives for Jos North/Bassa Federal Constituency and lost, his counsel, Mr. Sunny Odey, stated that he had three applications which he intends to file.
Odey listed them as the application for a subpoena, motion for additional witness statement on oath and an application challenging the competence of the respondents’ processes and replies.
He requested for three days to enable him do that and was granted leave by the tribunal.
Mr. L.D. Dafer, the counsel to INEC, said the respondents also indicated intention to file an application by way of preliminary objection to the competence of the entire petition and applied for five days to enable him do that which was granted by the tribunal.
The matter was adjourned to May 14 for hearing of applications, just as the tribunal also adjourned to May 16 for hearing of other applications.
