The chairman of the Governorship and National Assembly Election Petitions Tribunal in Sokoto state, Justice Abbas Bawale, Thursday warned counsel to discourage their clients from ‘trying to seek judicial favours”.
Bawale gave the warning in the tribunal’s inaugural sitting for hearing in the petition filed by All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate, Ahmad Aliyu, challenging the return of Governor Aminu Tambuwal of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Justice Bawale said: “the tribunal has specific rules. We shall do our best to discharge our responsibilities consciously in accordance with dictates of the oath we took as judges and tribunal members.
“We urge counsel to speak to their clients to refrain from trying to reach out. I want to warn you that this will not be of any use.
“We shall at all times, be just in the discharge of our assignment” Bawale said.
Further, he said any party not satisfied with any step taken by the tribunal on his matter,should rely on his counsel to express his grievance.
Bawale said that the tribunal would sit week days only from 9 a.m to 1: 30 a.m and would take a break for one hour to resume at 2: 30 p.m.
He urged counsel to accord maximum support and cooperation to the tribunal members in the discharge their responsibilities within the stipulated 180 days.
In their separate response, lead counsel to Aliyu, Chief Alex Izion, SAN, Mr Tanimu Inuwa, SAN, for Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Mr Sunday Ahmed, SAN, for Tambuwal and Mr Olumuyiwa Akinboro, SAN, for the PDP, assured members of their support.
They agreed to filed and exchange, settle all pre-hearing correspondence within week out of the 14 days pre-hearing period.
The main governorship election held on March 9 was declared inconclusive following cancellation of 75, 403 votes which were higher than the 3, 413 votes margin between the leading candidates.
The re-run was conducted on March 23, and Tambuwal won with a slim margin of 342 votes.
Unsatisfied with the outcome, Aliyu approached the tribunal challenging the return of Tambuwal as the governor-elect, on the grounds that the election was marred with irregularities and he did not scored the majority of the lawful votes. (NAN)
