By Emma Amaize  &  Bulou Kosin

 Delta State  Governorship Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Asaba, weekend, dismissed two separate applications by the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, and the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, which sought to nullify the pre-hearing session notices issued by it on the grounds that the petitioners, Chief Great Ogboru and Democratic People’s Party, DPP, did not seek leave of court to file their application.

Delivering the tribunal’s ruling, its chairman, Justice Abisoye Ayo, stated that the petitioners were not bound to seek leave of court before filing the said application and that the pre-hearing session notices and information were duly issued by the tribunal after the petitioners’ application was granted, July 14.

The tribunal maintained that the two applications “lacked merit” , adding that  the request to set aside its July 14 order could not be granted because the petitioners’ application, dated June 25,  for issuance of pre-hearing session notices and information was filed within time.

 It declared that the pre-hearing session, which the respondents were seeking to invalidate with their applications  had already commenced on the orders of the court and  granted N25, 000 cost  against each of the second and third respondents, while the pre-hearing session continues tomorrow (Monday).