Tribunal grants service on Ortom through substituted means

The Governorship and State Assembly Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Makurdi, the Benue State has granted the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Emmanuel Jime, and the party to serve their petition on Governor Samuel Ortom through substituted means.

In a motion ex parte filed by Jime and the APC, in which the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Samuel Ortom and the PDP were first, second and third respondents respectively, the petitioners had sought leave of the tribunal to serve the petition and all other processes in the petition on the second respondent’s state party secretariat situated at No 1, Steven Lawani street, new GRA, Makurdi.

The tribunal granted the motion ex parte and ordered that the second respondent, Governor Ortom be served through the state PDP secretariat.

The motion ex parte which was signed by the Secretary of the elections tribunal, Deborah Musa, stated that the tribunal was satisfied that personal service could not be effected on the second respondent.

Daily Times recalls that Jime and his party had last weekend, filed a petition challenging the victory of Governor Samuel Ortom and the PDP.

Jime’s through legal team led by Yusuf Ali (SAN) had premised the petition on two (2) grounds.

That the 2nd respondent (Samuel Ioraer Ortom) was not duly elected by lawful votes cast as well as the fact that the election of the 2nd Respondent was invalid by reason of noncompliance with the provisions of the Electoral Act, 2010 as amended .

Jime however expressed hope that he will come out victorious at the tribunal, given the huge cache of evidence and proof lifted from the inspection of electoral materials from INEC and other dependable witnesses.