Tribunal dismisses Suswam's bid to strike out Ugbah, Saror's petition

THE reconstituted Governorship Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Makurdi has dismissed the applications filed by Governor Gabriel Suswam and the People's Democratic Party (PDP) to strike out the case of Prof. Steven Ugbah of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN).The tribunal upheld the Supreme Court's judgment to retry the petition of Prof. Daniel Saror of the All Nigeria People's Party (ANPP) against Suswam on the allegation of certificate forgery.Ruling on the on the application yesterday, Justice Halima Mohammed stressed that Suswam's applications lacked merit and maintained that the petition would be treated on its merit as ordered by the Supreme Court.According to Justice Halima, all courts in the country are bound by the decision of the Supreme Court which is the highest court of law in the nation, stressing that it is constitutional that the order must be strictly adhered to.The panel said that no provision of the constitution could be interpreted in isolation of others, insisting that no part was inferior to another just as it pointed out that Section 285 subs (6) of the 1999 constitution did not preclude the tribunal from hearing the petition.She contended that Section 233 of the constitution gave the petitioner right not to be deprived of his victory, pointing out that he could not be refused access to justice.Reacting to the judgment, Counsel to Suswam, Donald said the electoral jurisprudence in the country was going through a revolution while counsel to Ugbah hailed the judgment as meticulous.Justice Mohammed adjourned both cases to 19th December 2011 for continuation of hearing.Meanwhile, Benue State chapter of the ACN, alleged the arrest of PDP thugs in Makurdi yesterday morning by men of the Benue State Police Command.'The thugs who were being conveyed to Makurdi from Katsina-Ala on seven buses heavily armed in order to disrupt the sitting of the Governorship Election Petition Tribunal in Makurdi were intercepted by the police and taken to the State CID in Makurdi. One of the buses with registration number AE 710 KAL and an inscription (Suswam 2011) on the body is currently parked at the State CID', the party said in a statement by its Chairman, Abba Yaro.
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