Tribunal dismisses Akume’s petition against Sen. Jev

The National and State House of Assembly Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Makurdi, Benue state has thrown out the petition filed against Senator Emmanuel Orker Jev representing Benue North West Senatorial District by his predecessor, Senator George Akume.

At the February 23 presidential and National Assembly elections, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had returned Sen. Jev of the PDP, who polled 157, 726 votes against George Akume’s 115, 000 votes as winner.

But, the former Benue state governor approached the tribunal urging the court to upturn Jev’s victory and declare him as the substantive winner on the grounds that Sen. Jev was not duly elected by popular votes and that the election was marred by irregularities and did not conform to the provisions of the Electoral Act.

In his judgment, tribunal Chairman, Justice P. O. Odudu maintained that the petition challenging the senatorial election raised issues in almost 404 polling units, but the petitioner called less than 20 witnesses.

According to Justice Odudu, ‘the petitioner is required to provide evidence polling unit by polling unit and ward by ward,” noting that even were all the 20 witnesses evidence were to be proven, “it would be like a drop of water in an ocean and therefore, of no consequence to the overall result.”

The tribunal chairman therefore, dismissed the petition and awarded N100, 000 damages each to the first and second respondents against the petitioner.

Similarly, the case of Terhemen Utaan of the All Progresses Congress (APC) challenging the election of Rep. Bem Mzondo of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for Guma/Makurdi Federal Constituency was also thrown out by the tribunal for lacking in merit.

The tribunal held that the petitioner relied on hear say without any iota of proof to warrant upturning the victory of the winner of the general elections, noting that the tribunal is not won’t to give out free gifts even where they are not merited

Reacting to the tribunal’s decision, the state Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Mr. Bemgba Iortyom described it as sound and a proof that the people of the state had overwhelming voted for the PDP during the general elections pointing out that APC rather than meeting the electorate were banking on what he referred to as “federal might” to declare them winners.

The PDP image -maker pointed out that after the polls, the party won the governorship seat, three senatorial seats, nine out of the 11 House of Representatives seats as well as winning the highest number of seats in the state House of Assembly which is an indication the PDP is loved by people of the state.

In his reaction, Deputy Director on Media, Emmanuel Jime Campaign Organization, Tersoo Kula said there is no cause for alarm as most of the cases before the tribunal were dismissed based on technicalities and that the APC still has confidence in the judiciary to deliver justice.

He said APC lawyers are studying all the decisions of the tribunal with the aim of seeking redress at the appellate court in the nearest future and called on party members to remain calm and law -abiding as party will surely reclaim what he referred to as the “stolen mandate” from the ruling PDP.