The Chairman Niger State National Assembly Elections petition Tribunal (ETP), Justice Angela Otaluka has at the weekend in Minna again reiterated the tribunal position in ensuring Justice to all petitions before the tribunal warning that the tribunal is not here for joke.
The tribunal chairman’s warning was against the backdrop of what she termed as unnecessary technicality by counsels to the petitioners and Plaintiffs that were yet to file their documents before the tribunal to enable its forge ahead to meet 180 days allotted to the completion of the process.
She maintained that members of the tribunal are on national assignment and not ready to takeany excuses from any member of the bar that appear before the tribunal adding that she will
not under any circumstances take unnecessary adjournment from lawyers for unjust reason.
“This assignment is a National assignment. I have been in this job for thirty years and above.
“We left our family members to come down for this national assignment and for members of the bar to come here to stampede our proceedings in this tribunal will not be acceptable
“What we are here to do is nothing but Justice for the state. I will not accept unnecessary adjournment in matter before this tribunal.”
She furiously told lawyers at the ongoing pre-hearing session at the weekend sitting of the tribunal in Minna.
She admonished legal practitioners participating at the tribunal to extend their hands of mutual cooperation to the members of the tribunal in ensuring the speedy dispensation of justice as expected of the tribunal.
“The bar and the bench needed collective cooperation to ensure speedy dispensation of justice for the people of Niger State. For members of the bar to create unnecessary adjournment into any matter in this Tribunal will be resisted
“Let me repeat what I said in my inaugural speech, the tribunal is here to ensure Justice and I will not for any reason allow any participants in the tribunal to draw us back under
any guise.
“Let me is it again, that the bar is an iroko tree that has several branches which the bench is one among the branches of the bar.
“The bar and the bench need a collective understanding and cooperation to arrive at dispensation of Justice to the people of Niger state”, Justice Otaluka asserted.
In a swift reaction, a Minna based legal practitioner who is also representing the Peoples Democratic party (PDP), Barrister Mohammed Kudu Ndayako, SAN told the tribunal that it
was not in his practice to request for an adjournment in any matter that is handling as a counsel.
“My Lord, I have been in the practice for thirty years. It has never been in my practice to seek for adjournment in any matter.
“In this very circumstances, I requested for an adjournment because my seven days have not been exhausted. Like I said is not in my practice to seek for adjournment:, Kudu
Ndayako SAN submitted.
Meanwhile, the secretary of the Niger State National Assembly Elections Petition Tribunal(EPT), Barrister Usman Mohammed Jankoli told journalists that a total of 31 petitions have been filed before the Governorship, National Assembly and State House of Assembly Tribunal in Niger State.
He explained that there is so far no petition arising from Governorship before the two tribunal.
According to Jankoli, four petitions were filed against the outcome of the Senatorial elections, while eight submitted against the house of representative polls.
He said 19 petitions have been filed against the outcome of the house of Assembly election.
Usman Jankoli further disclosed that the Secretariat has been put on notice for additional three petitions of the house of Assembly on the aftermath of the supplementary election conducted on April 15, 2023 adding that the tribunal has 180 days to complete the process.
