Senator Gershom Bassey
Sen. Bassey Otu
From: Diana Okon-Effiong, Calabar
A fresh application challenging the competence of a presiding judge at the time when election matters were almost ripe for judgement stalled proceedings Tuesday at a tribunal sitting in Calabar.
The tribunal also adjourned to Oct. 5 2015 after consultations in Chambers with counsel to the parties over a fresh application brought by Mr Paul Erokoro, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) and lead counsel to the PDP.
Erokoro’s new application had questioned the competence of the tribunal Chairman, Justice Christopher Awubra to preside over electoral matters in Calabar, alleging that he is a serving Customary Court Judge in Taraba State.
According to Erokoro application, the tribunal chairman has violate the provisions of the constitution which specifies that the chairman of the tribunal must be a serving High Court Judge.
The tribunal had listed on its cause lists for the day election petitions involving Sen. Gershom Bassey (PDP) and Sen.(LP), Cross River Southern Senatorial District; Rep. Bassey Ewa (PDP) and Dr. Alex Egbonna (LP), Abi/Yakurr Federal Constituency; Sen. Rose Oko (PDP) and Dr. Julius Okpotu (LP), Cross River North Senatorial District for determination.
But as petitioners and respondents, their counsels and supporters waited for several hours by Tribunal’s Registrar, Mr Innocent Akidi emerged from a meeting by counsels and tribunal members in the inner chambers of the court to announce that pending matters were adjourned to Oct, 5.
“All matters in this Tribunal have been adjourned to Monday, 5th October for further hearing,” he said.
However, the announcement did not go down well with supporters of the litigants who became unruly prompting the tribunal authorities to call for additional security.
Mr Essien Andrew, counsel to Otu, who is challenging the election of Bassey at the tribunal also confirmed to journalists covering the proceedings that a fresh application brought by Erokoro for Bassey was the crux of the development.
Erokoro later told newsmen that he saw a provision in the constitution that required chairmen of electoral tribunals to be sitting high court judges and not judges of customary court as was the case with Awubra.
Erokoro said: “The tribunal chairman had admitted to our position that he is a Judge of customary court in Taraba state judiciary but he was not the one that appointed himself. He was appointed by the President of the Court of Appeal and he will have to consult before letting us know their position.”
But anxious supporters of the petitioners who were not happy with Erokoro booed and insulted him in and out of court room, saying that his application was timed to scuttle all the progress made by the tribunal so far.
Erokoro was escorted out of the court premises by armed policemen in six pick-up vehicles.
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