By Olanrewaju Adesanya
The House of Representatives Election Petition Tribunal, sitting at the Ikeja High Court annex has adjourned the hearing of a case between Honourable Rita Orji &Anor (Petitioners) versus Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) &2 ORS (Respondents) till September 5th,2019.
The Chairman of the tribunal, Justice Amidu Kunasa affirmed the adjourned date as proposed by INEC and corroborated by the lead counsel of the respondent, Barrister Lawal Pedro SAN counsel to Hon. Kolawole Taiwo House of Reps member representing Ajeromi Ifelodun Federal constituency, having heard the case of the petitioner’s and scanned all documents corroborating their arguments.
The Ikeja High Court annex which was filled to its brim, had party loyalists of the opposing camps in attendance; the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) loyalists and that of the All Progressives Congress (APC), they were there all through, from 9am that the case commenced till 5:44pm when the hearing was adjourned.
According to petitioners counsel led by Barrister Prisca Ozomenike, Tobi Chukwu and one other lawyer, they have presented their documents and the case would soon come to a conclusive end.
“Our case is about 90 percent done ,we have presented the card reader showing accreditation, rerun register as well as our petition on the 71 polling units in contention.
“The tribunal should look into that to affirm if it is right to cancel the House of Reps election in the first place,where two out of the three elections taken simultaneously,that is the Presidency and Senate will be declared and one cancelled.
” We urge the tribunal to screen that,so far so good the tribunal has been very accommodating.”
In his view Barr. Lawal Pedro SAN,the owner of Lawal Pedro SAN &Associates K noted that the remaining part of the said case is to cross examine Hon. Rita Orji .
“It is still the petitioner testifying, bringing all they have on board,34 witnesses already heard leaving Rita Orji to be cross examined.” Lawal said.