JUST IN: TRIBUNAL RESERVES JUDGMENT IN SUIT AGAINST ISHAKU ABBO

The Election Petitions Tribunal sitting in Yola, Adamawa state on Friday, adjourned for judgment, a petition filed by the Rev. Amos Kumai Yohanna, challenging the election of Senator Ishaku Abbo Cliff.

The Chairman of the three-man panel, Justice Aloysius O. Okuma, reserved the judgment for a later day to be communicated to parties after the petitioner and respondents had adopted their final written addresses.

Rev. Amos Yohanna, who contested election under the People's Democratic Party (PDP), dragged the incumbent Sen. Ishaku Abbo, APC and INEC before tribunal challenging the election which brought him to power.

In his petition marked :EPT/AD/SEN/02/2023, Hon. Rev Amos Yohanna, alleged that the election of Sen. Abbo is invalid by reasons of corrupt practices or non compliance with the provisions of the Electoral Act 2022. 

He averred that Sen. Abbo was not duly elected by the majority of lawful votes cast during the election, alleging over voting at various polling units, false enteries, alteration and cancellation of votes at several polling units.

According to him, some of the alteration and cancellation were not signed by the presiding officers of the polling units, and prayed the tribunal to set aside the election of Senator Ishaku Abbo.

He also sought for an order of the tribunal returning him (Rev. Amos Yohanna) as the duly elected candidate for the Northern Senatorial seat having polled the highest number of lawful votes cast during the exercise.

While adopting his final written address filed on the 11th June, 2023, the petitioner(Rev. Amos Yohanna) through his Counsel, Jerry Owe, prayed the tribunal to find and hold that the petition has merit, competent and well founded.

Owe urged the tribunal to grant all the relifs sought by his client and further prayed it to dismiss the preliminary objections by the respondents and hear the petition on merit.

On his part, Sen. Ishaku Abbo had while adopting his final written address filed on the 19th June, 2023 through his Counsel, Sam. Ologunorisha(SAN), urged  the tribunal to dismiss the petition in its entirety for lacking in merit.

Likewise, on their part, Counsels to APC and INEC, M. J. Numa and B. A respectively, prayed the tribunal to uphold their preliminary objections and dismiss the petition for being incompetent. News Platform.