We may need a second Tribunal – Odey.
JT Useni’s Petition scheduled for pre-trial

Senior Counsel representing PDP in the Legislative Houses Tribunal sitting in Jos, Barr. Sunny-Gabriel Odey has made a case for the decongestion of the present tribunal.

He suggested to the Chairman of the three-member tribunal, Hon Justice TN Nzeogwu, that the sheer volume of the work before the Honourable justices may necessitate their recommendation at the right quarters to set up a second tribunal.

“Melords, there are currently 22 petitions for Legislative Houses, and one for governorship. There is also a very high number of witnesses to be called to testify before this Honourable court in each petition. We have already spent three months and are yet to get to the main issues.”

Barr Odey told the tribunal that in the 2015 dispensation, Jos had two tribunals overseeing cases across the state for Legislative Houses alone. He explained that a second panel will lighten the burden of work , ensure speedy dispensation of justice and get the job done within the time limit allowed by the law.

The Tribunal has 180 days under the Constitution as amended, to dispose of the petitions filed before it.

Two other members of the panel are Hon. Justice OA. Adejumo and Hon. Justice ML. Lawal. It held its inaugural session and started pre-hearing of the petitions on Monday, May 6, 2019.

Meantime, it has been revealed that the Governorship Election Tribunal will start sitting on Tuesday May 28. A notice to this effect was released to the parties on Monday May 20 by the Secretary of the tribunal. Attached to the notice are questions to be answered by all parties in the pre-trial session.

Known to be the only petition, Senator Jeremiah Timbut Useni has challenged INEC’s declaration of Governor Simon Lalong as winner of the Governorship election. The petition points out that the PDP candidate was “duly and validly elected and ought to be returned as the winner of the governorship election in Plateau State, having polled the highest number of lawful votes cast…and having satisfied the constitutional requirements of the said election.”

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The Legislative Houses Tribunal Updates from Plateau State