THE Plateau State governorship election petition tribunal, sitting in Jos, has adjourned ruling for a date to be communicated to all parties in the suit after the Labour Party (LP) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) adopted their final written addresses at the weekend.The matter was initially stood down for two hours, as requested by all the parties, to put their houses in order.When the court resumed in the afternoon, Chairman of the tribunal, Mr. Justice Joseph Jella, having listened to all adopted written addresses by the parties, adjourned judgement to a date to be communicated to them.The LP governorship candidate in the April 2011 went to the governorship election petition tribunal to challenge the return of Governor Jonah Jang by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in the state.The action was instituted by Mrs. Pauline Tallen, who is the governorship candidate, her running mate, Architect Pam Dung Gyang and the Labour Party.The respondents are Jang, his deputy Ignatius Longjan, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).At the end of full proceedings into the matter, Labour Party called a total of 64 witnesses to show why their candidate should be declared winner while the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) called a total of 42 witnesses to show that the results declared by INEC returning their candidate as governor were valid and in order. INEC did not call any witness.Presenting its adoption of final written address, the LP's lead counsel, Mr. Ibrahim Musa Jam-Jam, after citing many legal authorities to back his case, submitted that the petitioners (Tallen and others) have established that the first and second respondents (Jang and Longjan) were not duly elected by lawful votes cast at the said election, adding that they have therefore failed the constitutional requirement.The counsel argued that consequently the tribunal should resolve the issues in favour of the first and second petitioners, having scored the highest lawful votes cast at the election, and having satisfied the constitutional requirement.Alternatively, he urged the tribunal to nullify the election of Jang and his deputy and set aside the election conducted into the office of the governor of the state on April 26 on the ground that the same is invalid by reason of corrupt practices and non-compliance with the provisions of the Electoral Act.In its adoption of final written address, PDP's counsel, Mr. Sam Ologun-Orisa, submitted that the petitioners have failed to prove the allegations forming the basis of their petition before the court. He added that in their pleadings, the petitioners had promised to avail the court with the evidence of forensic and handwriting experts in order to sustain their allegation, which unfortunately none was forthcoming in spite of the ex parte order granted by the tribunal in favour of the petitioners on May 19.
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