Senator Jev urges tribunal to dismiss Akume’s petition for lack of merit

Senator Emmanuel Orker Jev (PDP) representing Benue North West District has urged the National Assembly Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Makurdi to dismiss the petition filed against him by erstwhile Sen. George Akume for lacking merit and competence.

Counsel to Jev, Emmanuel Kunav Ashiekaa  made the submission while adopting his written address, during which he averred that Akume’s petition is defective and ought to be dismissed in its entirety.

He reminded the tribunal of two applications whose rulings were defiled amongst which were that,  the petitioners went outside and introduced new issues outside the petition as well as introduced some offensive paragraphs in the second paragraph of his response to their reply.

In his submission, counsel to the Peoples’ Democratic Party, PDP C. A. Gbehe said the issue of competence of the petition raised by them is yet to be ruled,  frowning that the petitioners merely dumped documents on the court.

“On these grounds, I urge to dismiss the petition in its entirety for lacking  merit,”he urged.

While counsel to the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC P. Pusa urged the court to resolve the issue of over voting,  card reader and voter register as raised by the petitioners in his favor.

On his part, counsel to the petitioner Ishaq Dikko said they formulated an issue of whether or not the Senatorial election for Benue North West District conducted on February 2019 was done in substantial companies with the Electoral Law.

Having listened to submission of all parties, the tribunal chairman  P.O. Odugu adjourned the matter for judgement on a date to be communicated by tribunal secretary to the parties.