TRIBUNAL IN MAKURDI NULLIFIES PDP LAWMAKER'S ELECTION. ORDERS FRESH POLL IN MAKURDI NORTH.

Another major blow for the PDP in Benue state.
The State House of Assembly Election Petition Tribunal
sitting in Makurdi on Friday nullified the election of
member representing Makurdi-North State
Constituency, Mr Martins Aza.
Aza of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) was dragged
before the tribunal by Mr Avine Agbom of the All
Progressives Congress (APC) candidate in the 2015
governorship/assembly elections.
Agbom challenged the election on the grounds of
electoral malpractices and non compliance with the
electoral laws in the conduct of the election in two
council wards.
The wards where irregularities were alleged were Agan
and Mbalan.
Agbom, in his petition, prayed the tribunal to invalidate
the results of the two wards and order for fresh
election.
Delivering judgment, the tribunal Chairman, Justice
Mosumola Dipeolu, noted that the onus of proof lies
with the petitioner, which he did with submissions of
relevant evidence.
The Chairman, however, stated that the first respondent
failed to efficiently counter the allegations in his
response.
The Chairman explained that testimonies of witnesses
presented by the respondents’ counsel were
contradictory and unreliable.
The tribunal, therefore, ordered INEC to conduct fresh
elections in 20 polling units in Agan and 14 polling
units in Mbalan council wards of the constituency
within 60 days from today.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the
tribunal also in a separate judgment, dismissed the
petition of the PDP candidate, Mrs Elizabeth Shuluwa,
for lack of merit.
The tribunal, therefore, upheld the election of member
representing Kastina-Ala West State Constituency, Mr
Tor Aye of the Labour party. (NAN)