How Gov Lalong Snubbed Journalists At Election Tribunal On Wednesday

Yakubu Busari

In what appeared as a political enemy between Governor Simon Bako Lalong and Lt General Jeremiah Timbut Useni on Wednesday where the two political gladiators ,hugged each other in exchange of pleasantry by sitting close and discussing as if they never went  into political boxing ring before .

 

The two players earlier on sat together turning the place as political tourist attraction to prominent politicians coming to greet.

 

The Tribunal premises was full of security personnel who hijacked the venue keeping vigilant and being consciousness of the presence of miscreants who might want to take advantage of the exercise.

 

The Governor Simon Lalong who extended his invitation to journalists for them to come, saw influx of  media Representative waiting to interview him, on some  important  states and northern issues regarding the grazing ” RUGA” saga, hit the rock by overzealous security men who were pushing everyone within the court premises by shielding the governor from media .

 

However, cameramen were everywhere mounting their cameras waiting for Governor Simon Lalong aides to clear the crowd for them to ask the governor certain sensitive questions on his sudden absence from duty but that was greeted with disappointment by the men of the pen profession.

 

The disappointed media practitioners that left the venue  were not allowed to ask question, when the governor who is  the chairman of 19 Northern states Governors forum  was unfriendly to his own.

 

After wasting several hours the governor snubbed journalists so it was gathered that those who were inside the court couldn’t gain access to interview him.

 

Sen Useni has brought it 38 fresh documents from four LGAs – Qua’an Pan, Mangu, Jos East and Shendam seeking to have them admitted in evidence.

 

These documents are INEC duplicate copies (pink) of Statements of Result (EC8A) accompanied by a four-page schedule of the documents.

 

Tribunal Chairman Hon Justice HA Saleeman shows unwavering diligence in carefully going through the list, marking them and admitting them in evidence.

 

As usual, the three Respondents – INEC, Lalong and APC will object to the tendering of these documents. But in line with the pre-hearing conference, their objections will only be articulated in their final addresses just before judgement.

 

Useni has so far presented 65 witnesses in these proceedings.  Ozekhome, SAN, has informed the tribunal that the PDP legal team hopes to stick to the 14 days allotted to them under the rules prehearing report to call all its witnesses.