Follow Us on Google
Rose Ejembi, Makurdi
Senator representing Benue North West senatorial district Sen. Emmanuel Orker Jev on Thursday prayed the National Assembly Election Petition Tribunal to dismiss the petition filed against him by Sen. George Akume.
Sen. Akume who was the senatorial candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the zone in the last general election had approached the tribunal to challenge the election of Jev of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) as the winner of the election.
But when the case came up on Thursday, counsel to Sen. Jev Chief E.K. Ashiekka urged the tribunal to dismiss it for lacking in merit and competence.
Ashiekka who made the submission while adopting his written address, argued that Akume’s petition was defective and ought to be dismissed in its entirety.
Also, counsel to the PDP, C. A. Gbehe, in his submission contended that the issue of competence of the petition raised by them is yet to be ruled upon, while the petitioners had continued to dump documents on the court.
“On these grounds, I urge this honourable tribunal to dismiss the petition in its entirety for lacking in merit,” he stated.
On his part, counsel to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) P. Pusa, prayed the court to resolve the issue of over voting, card reader and voter register as raised by the petitioners in his favor.
However, in his argument, counsel to the petitioner, Ishaq Dikko, said they formulated an issue of whether or not the Senatorial election for Benue North West District conducted on February 2019 was done in substantial compliance with the Electoral Law.
After listening to submission of all the parties, the tribunal chairman, P.O. Odugu adjourned the matter for judgement on a date to be communicated by tribunal secretary to the parties.
