Nasarawa South Election Tribunal: Parties Adopt Final Written Addresses

Nasarawa South Election Tribunal: Parties Adopt Final Written Addresses

• Jittery Adokwe absent in court
• Senator Almakura was conspicuous in court, expressed confident in retaining his mandate

Counsels to parties in the Nasarawa South Election Petition Tribunal, today, adopted their final written addresses.

Each of the counsels was given 10 minutes to address the court on point of law.

In their respective addresses, Chief Wole Olanipekun, SAN, Hassan Liman, SAN, and MI Dikko, SAN, counsels to Almakura, APC and INEC respectively, buttressed their arguments on the point of law, urging the tribunal to dismiss Adokwe’s petition as it failed to prove beyond reasonable doubt the petition before the tribunal.

The counsels argued that it is well settled that a legal practitioner who appears as a counsel in a case cannot give evidence as a witness and tender documents which will form the basis of the decision of the court in the matter. Citing different related cases as settled by the Supreme Court.

From all we have heard from the petitioners, there is a disconnect between the petition, the evidence and written addresses. The petitioners called witnesses without providing the evidence. In an election matter where there is request for nullification, the onus lies on the petitioners to prove their case. Their Lordships cannot grant a relief which is totally useless. The tribunal is not a ‘Father Christmas’.

Chairman of the Tribunal, Justice David Ego, who commended the counsel for their cooperation throughout the trial, said a date for judgment will be communicated to parties.

The in and out of the tribunal premises was filled to capacity by politicians and well wishers as mark of solidarity to Senator Almakura.

With today’s presentation, we don’t need a soothsayer to tell us how incompetent is Adokwe’s petition.

By Atose Muhammad