Benue Tribunal Orders ACN, Ugbah To Return Exhibits

The reconstituted Benue State Governorship Election Petitions Tribunal, yesterday, ordered the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) and its governorship candidate, Prof. Steven Ugba to bring back the exhibits which were released to them by the secretary of the tribunal.

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Governor Gabriel Suswam had accused ACN and Ugba of unauthorised withdrawal and custody of electoral materials that were released to the tribunal by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), for pre-trial on the petition against the governor.

But Chairman of the tribunal, Justice Halima Mohammed , said? at yesterday’s sitting that the exhibit were lawfully given out to the petitioners by the tribunal secretary on 6th December, 2011 and? further directed? all counsels to prepare their written addresses on all issues raised at the inspection of exhibits by them.

Presenting their reports on the inspection of the electoral materials by lawyers to Governor Suswam, as was earlier ordered by the tribunal at its sitting of 23rd January 2012, Donald Denwigwe (SAN) , told the tribunal that a particular document labeled C29, which he said was not initially tendered before the tribunal as part of evidence was introduced by the petitioners.