Benue South: Abba Moro closes case

Senator representing Benue South senatorial district, Comrade Abba Moro of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) on Wednesday closed his case at the National/State Assembly election petition tribunal sitting in Makurdi with a call on the tribunal to dismiss the petition of the All Progressives Congress (APC) senatorial candidate, Chief Stephen Lawani against him.

Counsel to Moro, Kenneth Ikonne (SAN) urged the tribunal headed by Justice A A Adeleye to look at the various defects that manifested themselves during the proceeding on the petition filed against his client’s election by Chief Lawani of the APC stressing that the petition was discredited in many aspects.

Ikonne tendered the results that were finally collated and the results declared during the 2019 senatorial election and the tribunal admitted them after the petitioners’ counsel even as the other respondents’ counsel did not object to it.

While Ikonne said he would not present any witness, the counsel to the PDP, C T Mue, told the tribunal that he would call a witness on July 27. This was even as the petitioner’s counsel, Sunday Okpale, had presented 13 witnesses including the petitioner and former deputy governor of Benue state, Chief Lawani,

During the proceeding, the tribunal rejected two petitioners’ applications for inclusion of more witnesses in the petition and the amendment of a witness statement, saying granting of such applications would amount to an amendment in the petition after it had been filed for 21 days.

The tribunal adjourned the case to July 27, 2019 for further hearing.

Ameh