From Daniel Abel, Lafia
The Nasarawa governorship tribunal sitting in Lafia has reserved ruling on some technical issues raised by the leading council to the respondents during the prehearing which ended on friday last week.
The parties in the suit includes the Peoples Democratic Party, (PDP), The governorship candidate, David Ombugadu as first and second petitioner respectively, while the first, second and third respondents are APC, governor Abdullahi Sule and the INEC respectively.
The lead council to the second respondent, Wole Olaonipekun, SAN in the governorship election petition in his argument prayed that the tribunal strike out certain paragraphs in the reply of the second repsondent to the petitioners.
By this prayer the respondents are asking the court to grant them the order to also challenge the votes, result already alloted to the petitioner by the INEC in March 18 2023 governorship elections.
But the petitioners lead council Joe Gazama, SAN argued that the respondens cannot ask for that order again because it is the petitioners that can challenge the respondents because they are the petitioners
Gazama argued further that if the repsondents had wanted to challenge tne petitioners vote or result they should have filed a crossed or counter petition within the appropriate time and not when the time has lapsed.
The tribunal chairman Justice Ezekiel Oyeyemi Ajay adjourned the gearing to 24th of june when the main case would be heard and witnesses and evidences presented for determination.
