Taraba election petition tribunal begins sitting, receives 21 petitions
By Okerafor Athanatius, Jalingo
A three-man National Assembly and state House of Assembly Election Petition Tribunal was Monday inaugurated in Jalingo, the Taraba state capital.
Delivering his speech at the inaugural ceremony held at the Magistrate/Appeal Courts Mile Six, Jalingo, the tribunal Chairman, Justice Eyewumi Oritsejafor said 21 petitions have been filed before the tribunal.
The chairman, who reminded the counsel to various parties that election petition matters are time bound, added that the tribunal has 180 days within which to deliver its final judgments.
“The record at our disposal reveals that results of the National Assembly elections in Taraba state were declared by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on February 25-27, while those of the state assembly elections were declared on March10, 11 – 12,” he said.
Justice Oritsejafor further stressed that the tribunal was already in the third month since the National Assembly election results were declared and in the second month in the case of the state House of Assembly elections.
According to him, three petitions were filed against the Senate results declared by the electoral umpire, four for the House of Representatives while 14 petitions were received for the state House of Assembly results.
Justice Oritsejafor noted that the number of petitions filed before the tribunal underscores the need for the expeditious hearing and determination of all petitions within the time frame provided for the determination of the petitions in the Electoral Act.
While seeking the co-operation of the members of the bar and the parties in joining the tribunal to implement the provisions of the Electoral Act, the chairman pledged its readiness to rise up to the challenge in the determination of the petitions filed before the tribunal.
He however, implored on the press to be responsible while reporting the proceedings of the tribunal, adding that “you must avoid reporting false and sensational news; there must be no room for fake news.”
