Judiciary
THE Labour Party Governorship candidate, Mr Chijioke Edeoga, says he is yet to be issued the pre hearing information form on the alleged NYSC certificate forgery case filed against Mr Peter Mbah of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
The Governorship Election Petition Tribunal is hearing the petition filed by Edoga of the Labour Party against Peter Mbah of PDP and INEC.
Edoga is praying the tribunal to disqualify Mba over the alleged NYSC certificate forgery.
During the sitting, Dr E. J Azinge, counsel to Edoga, the petitioner, said in spite of the Tribunal ruling on June 7, which granted the PDP the right to reply to the application filed by the petitioner, the petitioner was yet to be issued with form T F 007 pre-hearing notice.
Azinge added that in compliance with the electoral Act 2022, the petitioner had applied for the issuance for form T F 007 pre-hearing notice so as to be served with the pre-hearing information sheet.
She urged the Court to be mindful of the abridgement of time in accordance to section 45 of the Act.
She said she was making an application on the hinge on paragraph 18 for the urgency of the election petition period.
The counsel to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Mr Alhasan Umar said that the paragraph 18 (2b) reffed to by the counsel petitioner should be considered during the pre-hearing, adding that the application was pre mature.
Mr Tochukwu Maduka, counsel to Mr Peter Mbah said that the application by the petitioner could only be taken during the trial and urged the Court to suspend the application.
The Chairman of the tribunal, Justice K. M Akano, granted all the parties involved in the matter the right to apply for the issuance of pre-hearing information sheet after the form T F 007 would have been served to them for the commencement of pre-hearing.
The chairman however, adjourned the case to June 16 for continuation of the matter. (NAN)
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Tags: Dr E. J Azinge Justice K. M Akano Labour Party Mr Chijioke Edeoga Mr Peter Mbah NYSC NYSC certificate forgery
