PLATEAU: THERE CANNOT BE TWO RETURNING OFFICERS OF INEC IN PLATEAU CENTRAL SENATORIAL ELECTION—CHIEF MIKE OZEKHOME (SAN), REACTS

By: Valentine Adese (JP),

The Pre-election Session of Petition No: EPT/PL/SEN/06/2023, filed by Golkuna Yohanna Gottom and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), who are challenging the election of the Plateau Central Senatorial District and the declaration of Sen. Diket Plang, as the winner, has been concluded and the parties in the Petition are waiting for the Report of the Tribunal to enable the Petitioners commence the prosecution of their petition.

However, in an interview with the renowned legal Luminary, Chief Mike Ozekhome (SAN), he berated INEC for having two Returning Officers for the Plateau Central Senatorial Election.

While adding that, “I told everybody that, certain polling units in Kanam Local Government Area (LGA) were not completed and that the election should be repeated in those polling Units. Then INEC came forward and wrote a letter on the 3^rd of April, 2023, calling back all the results already canceled and saying, “Let us all review it again.

“It has never happen before. So, the bottom line is that, Gotom is the person that was elected based on the available documents and available evidence”.

In part Chief Prof. Mike (SAN) said:-

IN FRONT: CHIEF MIKE (SAN), BEHIND: YONNAH GOTOM

“Today we have objected to the funny replies by the 1st, 2nd and 3rd Respondents to the Petition we filed.  They are discussing election matters in their replies, contrary to the provisions of Section 25 of the Constitution and to Section 64, 65 and 159 of the Electoral Act

“They are discussing and challenging the eligibility of the Petitioner, Yohanna Gotom, which they ought to have done during or in a Pre election matter. We are time anxious of that because we have 14 days to do that.

“They are also putting forward the personnel they said was the Returning Officer of the Plateau State Central Senatorial District, who is the second Returning Officer, nearly two months after the first Returning Officer had completed his assignment.

“We cannot have two Kings in one Palace. We can’t have to Returning Officers in the Plateau Central Senatorial Election”.

“I told everybody that, certain polling units in Kanam Local Government Area were not completed and that the election should be repeated in those polling Units. Then INEC, came forward and wrote a letter on the 3^rd of April, 2023, calling back all the results already canceled and saying, “Let us all review it again.

“It has never happen before. So, the bottom line is that, Golkuna Yohanna Gotom is the person that was elected based on the available documents and available evidence”.