Lalong , Napoleon,  Adopts Written Addresses Urged The Tribunal To Either Uphold Or Dismiss

Yakubu Busari

Former Governor of Plateau State, presently Minister for Labour and Productivity, Hon. Simon Bako Lalong of the All Progressives Congress, (APC)  has urged the election tribunal sitting in Jos Division to grant his prayers and withdraw the certificate of returned issued AVM. Napoleon Bali of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP .

The election tribunal resumed hearing for the adoption of final written addresses where counsels are expected to adopt their written addresses in the two petitions.

The Plateau South Senatorial district candidate of the All Progressives Congress , APC, and Simon Lalong, had in their separate petitions prayed to the court to challenge the declaration of Napoleon Bali as the winner of the February 25 senatorial election.

The lead counsel, H.O. Afolabi , SAN, on behalf of his client, told the tribunal that the matter was slated for adoption of final written addresses in which parties have joined issues.

However, the first respondent U.Abdulsalami says their written address was dated 11-08-2023 and filed the same date upon receiving the petitioner’s response and replied on point of law dated 23-08-2023 where he adopted the two processes as their legal argument in support of the defense of the first respondent.

He emphasized that the petitioners anchored his complaint on two grounds the issue of nomination, and sponsorship of the second respondent based on the 1999 constitution.

Abdulsalami said, that the complaints were internal wrangling of a political party which is predicted under section 65,66, of the 1999, and noncompliance by the petitioners is lacking locus standing to challenge the Congress of another party.

He stressed that the over-voting allegations the petitioners brought have failed woefully to discharge the burden of proof of noncompliance too.

The tedious task of providing proof on 4 agents across the 44 polling units in paragraph 66 of the petitioners even if the recalculated the remaining of votes is 55 which was pleaded, he said.

Abdulsalami submitted that the case is dead on arrival so it should be buried.

The petitioners, H.O.Afolabi stated that they have tendered documents and their response dated 18-08-2023 were they written address and urged tribunal to grant the petitioners prayed.

He said that the second respondent argued that no matter how bright the respondent PW1 said issue of nomination, and sponsorship of a candidate is not a preelection matter.

According to him, PDP failed to comply with the order of the court verdict where he cited section 287(2) of the 1999 constitution as amended as the nomination, and sponsorship of the 3rd respondent was in nullity.

The second respondent, Sunday Oyawole filed on 11-08-2023 where he adopted the written address and upon receiving the petitioner’s written address, he filed a reply dated 23-08-2023. Adding the P. O raised by the petitioners on the admissibility of some documents was equally adopted.

Oyawole also filed additional authorities on the 5-9-2023 were list of grounds of the petitioners put Peck which basically on sponsorship, nomination they’re zero because the petitioners is not a member of PDP so he might not know what happened.