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Plateau Guber Tribunal:
Lalong Opens Defence, Tenders 54 Documents
By Joseph A Adudu
July 25 ,2019
Rt.
Hon Simon Bako Lalong opened his defence on Thursday at the Governorship
Election Petition Tribunal sitting at High Court 6, West of Mines Jos. Lalong
election as Governor of Plateau State is being challenge at the tribunal by Senator
Jeremiah Timbut Useni and the People’s Democratic Party (PDP).
The
petitioners opened their case in June, called 71 witnesses and closed their
case about two weeks ago. Thereafter, the case was adjourned for 14 days on the
request of all counsels in the matter.
On
resumption of the tribunal today, INEC, which is the 1st respondent
in the case which also supposed to have opened its defence, declared its intention not to call any witness. According to Dr.
Delano. Counsel for the 1st respondent, “Having gone through the
record of proceedings, particularly, the evidence given by PW71 and upon careful
consideration of the law, we would not be calling any witness my Lord”.
Recall
that PW 71 is INEC’s Director of Logistics who on the request by the petitioners, was subpoenaed to testified at
the tribunal. With the development, the coast was made clear for Lalong or 2nd
respondent to open his defence. Lateef Fagbemi (SAN) counsel for the 2nd
respondent consequently opened the defence
of the 2nd respondent and
tendered through the Bar 54 documents in batches which included 29 certified
True copies (CTC) of form EC8A for two
wards in Barki Ladi Local Government Areas, 5 CTC of form EC8A for Langtang North
Local Government Areas, 6 CTC of Voters Register (V.R) for Barkin Ladi Local
Government Area, 9 CTC of Voters Register for Langtang North Local Government Areas and 4
original copies of INEC receipts obtained for the documents tendered.
All
documents tendered were not objected by counsels to 1st and 3rd
respondents. However, counsel for the
petitioners reserved their objections to be articulated in their final written address.
Subject
to the above, the tribunal accepted the documents tendered in exhibits and marked as exhibits R3 –R54
respectively.
Counsel
for the 2nd respondent added, “ My Lord, with these, the 2nd
respondent would start calling his witnesses tomorrow”. Counsel further apply
for the adjournment of the matter until tomorrow and without any objection from
both the counsel to the petitioners 1st
and 3rd respondents, the tribunal adjourned the case until tomorrow
Friday 26th July, 2019 for continuation of defence.
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