BY PETER DURU

MAKURDI – The Benue State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal has reserved July 25, for ruling on applications filed by counsel to Governor Gabriel Suswam and the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, seeking an extension of time to enable them regularise their replies to Senator Daniel Saror’s petition challenging Suswam’s victory.

The tribunal, presided over by Justice Ladan Mumir, however, granted PDP and West African Examination Council, WAEC’s leave to regularise their replies to Saror’s petition.

Justice Ladan, in his ruling, stressed that the prayers in the applications filed by counsel to the Peoples Democratic Party ,PDP, and the West African Examinations Council, WAEC, were granted because there was no objection to them.

He declared that the tribunal would give a consolidated ruling on the two applications by Counsel to  Suswam and INEC on the adjourned date.

Counsel to both Suswam and WAEC, Messrs D C Denigwe and Emeka Nwosu respectively, had in their separate motions, asked for extension of time to enable them file replies to the petition and raise objections where necessary but Counsel to the ANPP governorship aspirant, Mr. Chris Orpin objected, contending that no convincing reasons were given for the requests.