BY PETER DURU

MAKURDI – The Benue State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal,yesterday, granted Governor Gabriel Suswam and the ruling Peoples’ Democratic Party, PDP, an extension of time to regularise their replies to the petition filed by Prof. Steven Ugbah of the Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN, challenging the victory of the former in the last governorship election in April.

Ruling on the motion filed by PDP and Suswam on the issue, Justice I.B. Garba, who relied on paragraph 45(1) of the first schedule of the Electoral Act (as amended) to arrive at the decision, noted that it would be repugnant to natural justice to deny the respondents opportunity to regularise their replies.

Justice Garba noted that it was proper in the face of the law to avail the respondents the opportunity to do so.

The tribunal held that paragraph 45 (1) of the first schedule to the Electoral Act gave the tribunal powers to extend the time for the respondents to properly enter their pleadings.