The National Assembly Election Petition Tribunal for Yobe sitting in Abuja has fixed June 23 for adoption of written addresses in a suit filed by the PDP challenging the victory of APC in the Potiskum/Nangere Federal Constituency.
Alhaji Garba Sabo of the PDP is challenging the return of Ibrahim-Umar Potiskum of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as winner of the Feb. 23 election.
Justice Susan Oji, the Chairman of the three-man panel, fixed the date on Saturday.
NAN reports that the tribunal relocated from Damaturu to Abuja due to insecurity in the state.
Joined in the petition is the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
The petitioner and his party are praying the tribunal to disqualify Potiskum, on grounds that he was convicted for a criminal offence by a Chief Magistrates’ Court in Damaturu in case No. YBS/CMC1/DT/105C/2016.
Sabo in his petition alleged that Potiskum was arraigned in the court in 2016 for assaulting three men.
The petitioner also alleged that Potiskum pleaded insanity based on the medical report tendered in the court and was discharged and acquitted in the case.
According to the petitioner, upon the crime and the plea, Potiskum is not qualified to lead the constituency in the House of Representatives and prayed the tribunal to declare him as the person who scored the highest number of lawful votes.
The petitioner also alleged that, Potiskum was also convicted on March 3, 1986 by an Upper Area Court 1, Potiskum, for the offence of Adultery and prayed the tribunal to declare him unfit to be elected.
Sabo alleged that Potiskum has history of insanity and has been declared as a person of unsound mind, having being a patient at the Borno State Psychiatric Hospital with patient No. 0268/05.
The petitioner is, therefore, praying the tribunal to set aside the certificate of return issued to Potiskum and declare him as the person who scored the highest number of lawful votes cast during the election.
According to the petitioner, it has been determined that the first and second respondents were not duly elected and did not score the lawful votes cast at the Feb.23 House of Representatives election into Potiskum/Nangere Federal Constituency.
The tribunal equally adjourned until Monday, for hearing in a motion filed for additional witnesses in the petition filed by Mr Mohammed Hassan of the PDP.
Hassan is challenging the election of Ibrahim Bomoi of the APC for Yobe South Senatorial Constituency and had filed a motion for additional witnesses to prove his case.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) gathered that the motion for additional witnesses was based on inspection carried out at INEC.
