From Msughshima Andrew, Makurdi
Benue State Governor Samuel Ortom has filed his defense to the petition written against him by the APC governorship candidate, Emmanuel Jime alleging irregularities in the just concluded guber elections.
Ortom’s defence was filed Wednesday evening, at exactly 7:35pm by Sebastine Hon, (SAN) and Edward Ashiekaa, (SAN), in company of a host of other lawyers on the team.
The governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Barr. Emmanuel Jime and his party, APC, had filed a petition challenging the victory of Governor Samuel Ortom at the polls.
According to the lead counsel, Governor Ortom’s response filed at the governorship election petition tribunal sitting in Makurdi, was printed in volumes with the smallest of them being 117 pages.
Submitting the defence at the tribunal, last night, the Governor’s lead counsel, Sebastine Hon expressed optimism in the victory of Governor Ortom at the tribunal as, according to him, the legal team has filed a rock-solid defence.
“Hon who noted he is leading tens of lawyers to the tribunal said “We have had a couple of sleepless nights and we have worked tirelessly to print out these volumes that we are submitting today, being the 8th of April. We are well within time and we wish ourselves success.
The Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice in Benue State, Mr Michael Gusa expressed confidence in the defence put together by the legal team.
He added that the leader of the team, Sebastine Hon, SAN, has been properly briefed “we believe he has done justuce to the petition and we are hopeful that by the Grace of God, victory of the Governor at the tribunal is assured.”
He prayed that the petition should be dismissed, should be struck out because it lacks merit. “We have seen a lot of refraction of the electoral act 2010 as amendes and and we have raised the preliminary objection. We have gone ahead to attack the petition on merit,” he added.
