BREAKING: PLATEAU STATE LGC ELECTIONS TRIBUNAL HOLDS INNAUGURAL SITTING. PANEL VOWS TO TREAT PETITIONS ON MERIT, AS COUNSELS PROMISE TO ASSIST AND SUPPORT

 By: Amb. Valentine Adese (JP),

The Plateau State Local Government Election Trial Tribunal has held its inaugural sitting at the State Court in West of Mines in Jos-North Local Government Area (LGA) today, with several Petitioners, Respondents, and Counsels in attendance from all the NBA Branches in the state.

Addressing the Counsels, Respondents and Petitioners in his remarks during the sitting, Mr. Zakkah Dung, the Chairman of the Tribunal Panel, promised to treat every Petition filed on its merit.

Dung also noted that they were on Oath as members of the Tribunal to ensure justice and that is what the panel would adhere to prove that “the judiciary is indeed the last hope of the common man”.

The Chairman disclosed that the Tribunal has over 20 Petitions to look into and therefore sought the cooperation of the Counsel in the various Petitions to assist the Tribunal to enable the Tribunal to dispense with all matters within the legally stipulated time.

According to the Chairman, the Tribunal has received Six (6) Petitions on Local Government Chairmanship and 19 Councillorship Elections.

Responding to the Chairman’s remarks, the NBA, and other Senior Lawyers present, commended the constitution of the Panel by the State Chief Judge while promising their support and assistance to the Panel.

Speaking on behalf of the Nigeria Bar Association (NBA), was the Chairman of Bukuru Branch, S.T. Ahile (Esq), Emmanuel (Esq) speaking for the Petitioners, S. G. Odey (Esq) speaking for the Respondents, and the Attorney General of the state rapping it up.

You would recall that, REALITY had reported that the All Progressives Congress (APC) is challenging only one Chairmanship result in the elections conducted by the Plateau State Independent Electoral Commission (PLASIEC) on the 9^th of October 2024, at the Plateau State Election Tribunal.

The party is however, challenging some Councillorship results in Shandam and Wase Local Government Areas (LGAs), while the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) is challenging one Councillorship seat in Mangu.

N. B. GIDADO

Disclosing this information to REALITY crew, N. B. Gidado, the Registrar of the Plateau State Local Government Election Trial Tribunal in his office, added that, the major party contending most of the Chairmanship results is the Social Democratic Party (SDP).

Adding that, while there is only one Chairmanship Petition filed by APC in Wase, the SDP filed one each from Wase, Kanam, Kanke, Pankshin, Qua’apan and Jos-North Local Governments.

On the Councillorship Petitions, he disclosed that 9 Petitions were filed from Wase, 5 from Shandam, 3 from Riyom, one from Jos-North and One from Mangu.

TO BE CONTINUED…