The All Progressives Congress, APC, and its gubernatorial candidate, Mr Emmanuel Jime, on Thursday closed their case at the Benue Governorship Election Petition Tribunal after calling 59 witnesses.
NAN reports that the petitioner also tendered over 1100 electoral documents including forms EC8A, EC8B, EC8C, EC8D, EC8E, voters registers and card reader reports, manual and guidelines for electoral officials, 2019 in 384 Polling Units across 11 local government areas in contention.
Jime is challenging the results declared in Buruku, Gboko, Guma, Gwer East, Gwer West, Konshisha, Kwande, Logo, Ukum, Ushongo and Vandeikya.
Jime, while testifying in his own defence as PW17, told the tribunal to declare him winner of the election on grounds that he polled 2,224 votes more than Ortom.
The petitioner’s other grounds were that Gov. Ortom was not duly elected by majority of lawful votes and that his election was invalid by reason of non-compliance with provisions of the Electoral Act 2010 as amended.
Chairman of the Tribunal, Justice Henry Olusiyi, adjourned further hearing until Aug. 8 for INEC to open its defence.
WE4WE REPORTS had reported that the petition filed by Emanuel Jime against the re-election of Governor Samuel Ortom, had suffered another major blow.
The tribunal, headed by Justice Adebola Olusiyi on Thursday, asked Jime’s witness not to testify because his witness statement on oath was not properly signed and commissioned.
A similar setback befell the petition when another star witness, Barrister Joe Abagu, was rejected by the tribunal on the ground that it was not signed.