Kogi Guber: Tribunal Strikes Out Justice Party’s Petition

The election petition tribunal sitting in Lokoja has struck out the petition filed by the candidate of Justice Party(JP) in the December 3,2011 gubernatorial poll, Chief Aisha Audu.

This followed the motion of withdrawal of the petition moved by the counsel to the petitioner, Ebenezer Abadaki, at a sitting of the tribunal yesterday in Lokoja.

The chairman of the tribunal, Justice Suleiman Anbursa subsequently struck out the suit, since the petitioner was no longer interested in the matter.

Aisha Audu had filed a petition before the tribunal, praying for the nullification of the last governorship poll, on the ground that she was unlawfully excluded.

That the failure of the electoral umpire to insert her party’s logo in the? ballot papers, was contrary to the provisions of the electoral act as amended.

Meanwhile, the Action Congress of Nigeria(ACN) has filed a motion for the inspection of electoral materials used in last year’s governorship poll.

Counsel to the petitioner, Chief Charles Edosonwan, SAN, prayed that the action was to ensure the exercise was concluded on time, to avoid time wasting.

But counsel to the Peoples Democratic Party(PDP), Umoru Mohammed said they intend to exhaust the time allotted them by law, to respond to the motion.

The tribunal subsequently adjourned to February 6 for continuation of hearing into the matter.