Jos North/Bassa H/Rep: Tribunal Reserves Judgment Date After Dabo, Maitalla Adopt Written Addresses

By Thompson Yamput

Jos, Aug. 27, 2019 (NAN) The National Assembly Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Jos on Tuesday reserved judgement date on Mr Jonathan Dabo (PDP) Petition after all the parties involved adopted their final written addresses.

The tribunal, which made the declaration after listening to the parties in the matter, said that the day of the judgment would be communicated to them in due course.

Dabo and his party, PDP, challenged Haruna, APC and INEC over his (Haruna’s) victory at the March 9 NASS re-run elections at the Tribunal.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that when the case came up on Tuesday for adoption of final written addresses, Haruna, through his counsel, Mr. Nantok Dashuar, asked the Tribunal to dismiss Dabo’s petition for lack of merit.

Dashur argued, “that since the elections of Feb. 23 was canceled by INEC following the disappearance of the original result sheet and a re-run was conducted in which the petitioners participated, they have no ground to challenge the victory of Haruna.”

“ Since it’s obvious before this tribunal that original result slip was not found, where else do the petitioners expect your Lordship to find it and declare Dabo winner of the elections?

“I urge your Lordship to disregard the arguments and reliefs sought by the petitioners and dismiss the petition for lack of merit, “ Dashuar pleaded.

Also speaking , Mr Uoskay Heavens, Counsel to 1st Respondent, INEC, urged the Tribunal to dismiss the petition for want of truth and merit.
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Mr Leo Ebi, Counsel to APC, the 3rd Respondent, also asked the Tribunal to dismiss the petition on the ground that the petitioners have failed to prove their case.

“Even the result which the petitioners claim should be considered and Mr. Dabo be declared winner can’t be clearly read because it’s mutilated and not readable nor has INEC stamp on it.

“After all they took part in the re-run of March 9, therefore, they have no right to look back on the result of Feb. 23 elections, and hereby urge your Lordship to dismiss this petition for lack of merit, “” Ebi pleaded.

But Mr. Sunday Oyawole, lead counsel to the petitioners, dismissed all the claims of the respondents, especially that of 3rd Respondent, whose response, he claimed were only based on facts and not on points of law.

“The essence of reply is not to argue but to reply on points of law, so I urge your Lordship to disregard their arguments.

“Beside, the respondents couldn’t, in their arguments, lay a hand on any law to buttress their points and so were only talking on facts.

“On elections of Feb. 23, there was a duly collected result, which was canceled by an officer who had no business with it all.

“They are the people who know where the original result slip of Feb. 23 is, so they should provide it having agreed that all the results of all the polling units were collated.

“Your Lordship should order them to produce the results and announce our client and Party ,PDP as winner of that election,” Oyawole urged the tribunal. (NAN)

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Jos North/Bassa H/Rep: Tribunal Reserves Judgment Date After Dabo, Maitalla Adopt Written Addresses