By Abdallah el-Kurebe
#TrackNigeria: The Chairman of the Sokoto Governorship Election Tribunal, Justice Abbas Bawale Abdullahi has called on Counsels to warn their clients in the election petition to refrain from attempting to reach out to all or any of the embers of the Tribunal.
He stated this in his speech before the inaugural sitting held at the State High Court complex in Sokoto Thursday.
“We urge Counsel and parties to repose a lot of confidence in the Tribunal. We shall do our best to discharge our responsibilities consciously and in accordance with the dictates of the oath we subscribed first as judges and secondly as Chairman and members of this Tribunal.
“We urge Counsel to speak to their clients to refrain from trying to reach out, for this will not be of any use. We shall at all times be just in the discharge of this assignment,” Abdullahi said.
Drawing the attention of Counsel on the time limit within which the Tribunal is expected to deliver its judgement, he emphasized that the Tribunal does not have the privilege of reserving its reasoning to a later date.
“Accordingly, there is every reason for Counsel to give their maximum support to achieve this. We will sparingly grant application for adjournment in deserving situation and on cogent and variable reasons.
However, it should be noted that such an adjournment will not only erode the time available for the applicant but will also slow the progress of this case,” the Tribunal Chairman explained.
Abdullahi advised Counsels representing various parties to continue to enlighten theirs clients on the progress of their case on a positive light.
At the inaugural sitting, the lead Counsel to the petitioners, governorship candidate of the All Progressive Congress (APC), Alhaji Ahmed Aliyu and the party, Dr. Alex Izinyon, SAN told the Tribunal that in view of the fact that there were many applications filed on all sides, Counsels of all parties had agreed to take another after which replies to the applications would be ready.
Counsel to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Tanimu Inuwa, SAN; that of governor Aminu Tambuwal, Dr. Sunday Ahmed, SAN and Counsel to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Dr. Olumuyiwa Akinboro, SAN all agreed.
Present at the Tribunal sitting was Sokoto state governor, Alhaji Aminu Tambuwal.
The Tribunal therefore adjourned to June 20th 2019 for hearing.
