Bayelsa: Tribunal Begins Sitting Over 31 Petitions, Judge Warns Counsels Against Delay Tactics

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News Investigators/ The Chairman of the Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Bayelsa State, Justice O. M. Fagbemi, has warned litigants and counsels to avoid seeking unnecessary adjournments through frivolous applications and preliminary objections that could waste the court’s time.

This is even as the Tribunal revealed it had received 31 petitions at the commencement of its sitting in Yenagoa, the Bayelsa capital on Thursday.

Speaking at the inaugural proceedings, Justice Fagbemi reminded litigants that the tribunal was time-bound, hence the need for all to cooperate to ensure speedy justice.

He noted that, “Election petitions are time-bound and, by their nature, peculiar from other proceedings”, adding that such dela tactics tendencies usually pervert the course of justice.

“We undertake to abide by our oath of office and mandate in dispensing justice with the help of God Almighty.

“We seize this opportunity to admonish counsels and litigants to desist from seeking unnecessary incessant adjournments and filing of frivolous applications.

“Preliminary objections, which are time wasting, purely an academic exercise, an exercise in futility aimed at perverting the course of justice, should be avoided,” she said.

Tribunal Secretary, Abba Dahiru, who spoke with journalists after the sitting, said the tribunal received 31 petitions out of which 22 were for the state house of assembly elections.

He said that nine petitions were for the national assembly elections adding, however, that one had been withdrawn.  

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