APC lawyers raise security concerns at Benue tribunal

From Scholastica Hir, Makurdi

The All Progressives Congress (APC) lawyers at the ongoing Local Government Election Tribunals in Benue State have petitioned the panels’ chairmen over growing security concerns at the tribunal venues.

This was contained in three separate letters signed by Matthew Burkaa, Mohammed Ndarani, and Sunday Ameh for Zone A, B, and Zone C senatorial districts, addressed to the tribunal chairmen and made available to newsmen in Makurdi.

In their letters titled “Re: Notice of Tribunal Sitting on Monday 24th February, 2025 and Our Security Concerns,” the lawyers urged the court not to sit due to security concerns.

Burkaa, who is representing Zone B senatorial district, in his letter said he represents 294 respondents in all the pending 104 petitions before the Tribunal in the zone.

He explained that they received notices through the Secretary of the Tribunal, Emmanuel Awuhe, via the ‘Local Government Petition Tribunal Makurdi’ WhatsApp group of the tribunals intending to sit on 24th February.

He said they were earlier notified that the Tribunal would not sit on 21st February, 2025, and that a new date for the petition(s) would be communicated to counsel on 24th February in court.

He said they were taken aback when they received a hearing notice that the Tribunal would resume sitting on Monday, 24th February.

“We have noted the brewing tense security situation around the court premises and within the state in the past few days.

“This state of affairs has created a serious security concern for us as we fear for the safety of our team of lawyers and our clients should they attend the sitting on the said date of Monday, 24th February, 2025.

“Consequent upon the above, we hereby respectfully request that the tribunal sitting be adjourned to a further and tentative date when adequate security measures have been put in place to guarantee our collective security.

“We shall be graciously delighted if our request is given immediate and adequate due consideration,” the letter read.

Ndarani and Ameh, who represent respondents of Zone A and Zone C senatorial districts, aligned themselves completely with Burkaa in their letters.