THE Edo Election Petition Tribunal 1 (EPT1), has charged all parties before the Tribunal to be diligent, and avoid delay vide filling unnecessary applications in the prosecution of their petitions.
Justice Yusuf Mohammed, Chairman of the 3-man led EPT1 gave the charge during the panel’s inaugural sitting on Wednesday in Benin City, the Edo State Capital.
Justice Mohammed said that the duties of the tribunal is to consider and determine petitions filed before it by the various petitioners who he said are 15 in number.
He urged the parties to cooperate with the panel and always do the needful in order for the tribunal to dispose of all petitions within the constitutionally stipulated period judiciously.
Mohammed maintained that the tribunal would be sitting daily except on Sundays which would serve as a resting day for the week.
He reiterated that there would be no extension of time for filing petitions at the expiration of the 21 days period approved by the law, just as he added that there would not be room for the amendment of petitions when the time provided expires.
On the issue of preliminary objections, he directed that counsels to note such and argue it during their final written addresses with stated points of law including what could constitute grounds for such objections so the court would rule on it along with the judgment delivery as provided under sec 285(8) of the constitution of the federal republic of Nigeria as amended.
Justice Mohammed said that there are two panels constituted by the court of appeal to determine petitions filed before it, noted that the other panel would be inaugurated within the week.
“As a follow-up to the general elections conducted in February 25 and March 18, 2023, the honorable president of the court of appeal sets up this panel for us to come, sit and determine petitions that came out from the national and state house of assembly elections.
“Our duty is to hear and determine the petitions filed within 180 days as provided by the constitution. So, because of the number of petitions filed, the president of the court of appeal deemed it fit to send a second panel so that we will be able to dispose off all petitions within 180 days”, he said.
