The National Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Makurdi has on Thursday granted the motion exparte filed by Mr Daniel Onjeh of the APC for substituted service on Sen David Mark of PDP.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Onjeh who was the senatorial flag bearer of APC at the February 20 Benue South Senatorial District rerun election earlier filed a fresh petition before the Tribunal asking for his declaration as the winner of the poll instead of Mark.
Joined in the petition were INEC and PDP.
INEC had declared Mark of PDP as the winner of the poll with a margin of barely more than 12,000 votes.
Onjeh insisted that “The purported margin of win that led to the declaration of Mark as winner of the poll was far less than the number of cancelled and rejected votes, which were over 29,000 votes.”
According to him, evidence on the face of the Certified True Copy of result declaration sheets obtained from INEC has shown observed irregularities and noncompliance with Electoral Act 2010 (as amended).
The Tribunal gave 21 days to the respondents to reply to the petition upon service following which Onjeh and APC would reply within seven days after which sitting would commence.
However, Onjeh informed the Tribunal that the court bailiff made several attempts to effect service on the respondents to no avail.
Delivering ruling on the motion, the Chairman of the Tribunal, Justice Abdullahi Sanya ordered that service be effected by substituted means.
Sanya stated that the petitioner could paste the service at the gate of Mark’s compound at No. 20, David Mark Way, Otukpo, Benue State.
NAN recalls that It is the second time Onjeh is coming to the Tribunal after the first time in 2015 which led to the nullification of Mark’s election that gave rise to the February 20 re-run election.(NAN)
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