Plateau Central Senatorial District: Tribunal adjourns until Aug. 6 for written addresses
Case
By Thompson Yamput
Jos, Aug. 1, 2019 (NAN) The Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Jos has adjourned until Aug. 6, for adoption of written addresses in a petition filed by Mr David Paradang of the PDP, challenging the declaration of Mr Hezekiah Dimka of the APC, as winner of the Plateau Central Senatorial District elections.
The tribunal had fixed Aug. 1 for adoption of the final written addresses by all parties involved in the matter.
News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that when the case came up on Thursday for the adoption of written addresses, Dimka’s lead Counsel, Mr Johnson Usman, told the Tribunal that he was served late with the process of the petitioners and would need time to file his own.
“My Lord, we are not ready because the petitioners only served us with a copy of their written addresses on July 30. If they had served us on July 26, we wouldn’t have had any reason to complain at all, ” Usman explained.
“In view of this, we shall be asking for more time to enable us reply them and equally file ours before this honorable tribunal, “ he pleaded.
Also speaking, Mr Sunday Obende, Counsel to the APC, complained of similar late service on him by the petitioners and need for him to have more time to reply before filling his address.
Mr Sunday Oyawole, lead counsel to the petitioners (Paradang and PDP), apologised to tribunal for the lapse, which he said was due some challenges encountered and not deliberately done.
“We are sorry for the prevailing circumstance as it wasn’t deliberate but due to challenges we encountered, “ Oyawole stated.
He however did not object to the application for adjournment made by Usman and Obende.
The Counsel to INEC, Mr Bibowu Nabena, also did not object to the application for adjournment.
The tribunal said, “since we are within time, there is cause for alarm, we can adjourn to give you people opportunity to do the needful.” (NAN)
TYC/SH
======
edited by Sadiya Hamza