BY PETER DURU, MAKURDI

The Benue State National Assembly Elections Petitions Tribunal sitting in Makurdi, has fixed June 8th. for the commencement of the pre-trial session in the case between the defeated All Progressives Congress, APC, candidate at the February 20th. Benue south rerun election,  Daniel Onjeh and Senator David Mark of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.

Onjeh had approached the tribunal seeking a nullification of the election on the ground that it was marred by irregularities.

At the inaugural sitting of the Tribunal yesterday, Senator Mark through his Counsel, Mr. Ken Ikonne, questioned the jurisdiction of the Tribunal to entertain the suit contending that the petition was belated and incompetent.

According to him, the petition was filed on March 13th., 2016, 22 days after the declaration of the result of the election contrary to the provisions of the law which prescribed 21 days grace for all petitions to be filed.

He maintained that the position of the law on the matter was clear and unambiguous, hence apparent that the suit was filed out of time and consequently ‘dead on arrival.’

The Chairman of the Tribunal, Justice Abdullahi Sanya adjourned sitting to June 8th. 2016 and urged the parties file and sort out their various interlocutory injunctions before the commencement of the pre-trial session.