THE Governorship Petition Tribunal sitting in Jos, the Plateau State capital, has set aside June 26, 2023 for hearing proper in a case between Dr. Nentawe Yilwatda of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), challenging the declaration of Barrister Caleb Mutfwang as winner of the governorship election.
This followed the ruling on the interrogatory injunctions by counsels to the 1st and 2nd respondents seeking to silence the petition from crash and also challenging the application by the petitioners’ counsels for the amendment of alterations in some paragraphs which the tribunal upheld, since it does not affect the substance of the petition.
The tribunal, through Hon. Justice Sunday Olorundahunsi, therefore, dismissed the counter application filed by the 1st and 2nd respondents objecting the application of counsels to the petitioner saying, the amendment was subject to the course of justice which was why they were there.
However, counsel to the petitioner, pleaded for time from now to Wednesday June 21 to enable them apply for subpoena and get reports of BVAS and other documents that would help ease the process, and it was granted by the Tribunal, although counsel to the respondent Pius Akubo did not object to it.
Counsel to the 1st respondent agreed to streamline his witnesses half way from twenty (20) since the the counsel to the petitioners was ready to sacrifice one of the weeks from four to three weeks for the smooth running and quick dispensation of justice..
Meanwhile, Chairman of the Governorship Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Jos, Hon. Justice Rita Irele-Ifineh, has fixed June 26, 2023 for the hearing proper and called on counsels to cooperate with them because there would be a fare running when they return for the hearing proper.
