Governorship Election Tribunal Frowns At Maku’s Request For Time Extension

Rabiu Omaku

The Governorship election petition tribunal sitting in Lafia, the Nasarawa state capital, on Tuesday, frowned at the persistent request for time extension for the inspection of election materials by the Governorship candidate of All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) Mr. Labaran Maku and his legal team.

This followed a second request for extension of time by lead counsel to the petitioner, Joseph Kyari Gazama, SAN, to enable his team complete the inspection of the election materials used in the April 11 Governorship election in the state.

The petitioner argued that the earlier extension granted them was not enough to complete the exercise, but Counsel to the first respondent, Governor Umaru Tanko Almakura, Yusuf Ali, SAN, had argued against the extension of time stating that the petitioner should not be complaining when they had earlier abandoned the inspection half way when granted leave to do so by the tribunal.

Similarly, counsel to Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Hassan Liman, SAN, argued that the petitioner should not be granted any time extension saying it was a deliberate ploy to scuttle justice, noting that one month was enough for them to inspect the election materials for the thirteen local government areas of the state.

In her ruling, the tribunal chairman, Justice Halima Mohammed, warned that they should not drag the tribunal with the issues of inspection of election materials any longer, insisting that the May 11 extension of time was enough.

Mr. Maku, who testified before the Governorship election tribunal, tendered volumes of exhibit from eleven out of the thirteen local government areas of the state, when he was led in evidence by his counsel, Joseph Kyari Gazama, SAN.