Mike Ubangha
The Governorship election tribunal, selected for the hearing of election petitions has been Inaugurated in Calabar, the capital of Cross River State, south south Nigeria.
Inaugurating the panel on Tuesday, the chairman of the tribunal Justice Joy Inneh, in her Inaugural speech enjoined counsels to the parties to ensure they work within the timeline given for hearing of the election petition.
Justice Inneh who began her legal instructions to the jury and media as well at ten A. M. said she was using the opportunity to assure Cross Riverians that the tribunal will work in accordance with and the detect of the electoral act without fear or favour.
“I hereby urge media representives that any official or unofficial communication with the members of the tribunal should not by any way or manner be misinterpreted or quoted out of context,” she warned.
Counsel to the People Democratic Party PDP, Dr. Joshua Y. Musa SAN, who represented the Governorship candidate Sen Sandy Ojang Onor, said they were in the court to challenge the eligibility of the both Governor-elect and the Deputy Governor-elect of the All Progressive Congress (APC) in the state.
Prof. Musa who disclosed this in an interview with the newsmen outside of the court said the duo are not qualified to even be nominated by their Party.
“The Inaugural sitting of the Governorship election tribunal is to encourage us to keep to the timeline for the election petition. According to Musa, election petitions are time sensitive and we have given our promise to cooperate with them and to keep to the timeline to achieve the aim of justice.”
On his part, Prof. Mike Ozekhome SAN, said it will be premature at this stage to know what each of the parties is defending because the pleadings are not yet concluded.
Ozekhome, who is the counsel to the All Progressive Congress (APC) Governor-elect Sen. Bassey Edet Otu and Deputy Governor-elect Mr. Peter Odey said that the parties are still filling their pleadings and processes, hence, the hearing session has not yet taken place.
The constitutional lawyer, went on to say that he was confident that during trial session issues will begin to come out and that generally he believes and see that justice will be done in accordance with the law.
“When the pleadings are completed, we will be able to know what each person is challenging and what each person is deciding. The Governorship election tribunal’s Inaugural sitting was just a brief session that all counsels will ensure justice is done without any fear or favour,” he said.