The Governorship Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Minna, Niger State, will thursday decide if it will order the arrest of Colonel Sani Bello (rtd), father of the state Governor, Alhaji Abubakar Sani Bello, and four others.

The others are the former Registrar of the National Examination Council (NECO), Professor Promise Okpalla; the acting Registrar, Alhaji Abubakar Gana; the Director General of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) as well as the Mokwa Local Government Area.

The tribunal reserved ruling till June 20 following an application by Mohammed Ndayako, counsel to the petitioner, Alhaji Umar Mohammed Nasko, who said the request was as a result of the refusal of those concerned to honour a subpoena issued on them to appear before the tribunal.

Ndayako in his submission noted that government agencies like NECO should ordinarily be worried that an examination body would sit back and watch its documents being forged and refuse to come to court to protect the sanctity of their results or examination.

The counsel said such bodies should jump at the opportunity provided by the tribunal to catch the suspects.

The governors’ father, Colonel Bello, was to defend the age of his son while the former registrar of NECO and the incumbent are being asked to clarify the academic certificates tendered by Governor Bello and his deputy, Alhaji Ahmad Muhammad Ketso, to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) before the election.

In his response, J.S. Okutepa (SAN), representing the first respondent, Governor Bello, objected to the application “because the persons named were not served in person.”

Okutepa also said the tribunal cannot issue the bench warrant on those concerned since they were not listed as witnesses in the petition before the tribunal

Chairman of the three-man tribunal, Justice John Igboji, reserved ruling on the application till June 20, 2019.

The PDP candidate in the March governorship election in the state, Nasko, had dragged the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Bello, and his deputy, Ketso, before the tribunal, accusing them of falsifying the academic and birth certificates submitted to INEC a “gross violation of the electoral act” during the governorship poll.

Follow Our WhatsApp Channel _______________________________________________________________________

[A MUST HAVE] Evidence Act Demystified With Recent And Contemporary Cases And Materials

“Evidence Act: Complete Annotation” by renowned legal experts Sanni & Etti.

Available now for NGN 40,000 at ASC Publications, 10, Boyle Street, Onikan, Lagos. Beside High Court, TBS. Email publications@ayindesanni.com or WhatsApp +2347056667384. Purchase Link: https://paystack.com/buy/evidence-act-complete-annotation

______________________________________________________________________ ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE FOR LAWYERS: A COMPREHENSIVE GUIDE Reimagine your practice with the power of AI “...this is the only Nigerian book I know of on the topic.” — Ohio Books Ltd Authored by Ben Ijeoma Adigwe, Esq., ACIArb (UK), LL.M, Dip. in Artificial Intelligence, Director, Delta State Ministry of Justice, Asaba, Nigeria. Bonus: Get a FREE eBook titled “How to Use the AI in Legalpedia and Law Pavilion” with every purchase.

How to Order: 📞 Call, Text, or WhatsApp: 08034917063 | 07055285878 📧 Email: benadigwe1@gmail.com 🌐 Website: www.benadigwe.com

Ebook Version: Access directly online at: https://selar.com/prv626

______________________________________________________________________ “Bridging Theory And Courtroom Practice” — Hagler Sunny Okorie, Nathaniel Ngozi Ikeocha Unveil ‘Functional’ Tort Law Book For Nigerian Legal System The book, titled The Law of Torts in Nigeria: A Functional Approach, authored by Professor Hagler Sunny Okorie Ph.D and Ikeocha, Nathaniel Ngozi Esq, offers law students, practitioners, and academics a comprehensive guide to understanding and applying tort law in Nigerian courts. Interested buyers can place orders via the following contact numbers: 08028636615, 08037667945, 08032253813, or +234 902 196 2209. ______________________________________________________________________ “Enhance Legal Practice With Authoritative Reports” — Alexander Payne Offers Comprehensive Law Reports, Spanning Over A Century Of Nigerian Jurisprudence

Interested buyers are encouraged to place their orders and enquiries via: 0704 444 4777, 0704 444 4999, 0818 199 9888 Website: www.alexandernigeria.com