As Appeal Court adjourns suit: Gov Suntai’s fate hangs in balance
The Court of Appeal, Jos, has adjourned to April 14, hearing in the appeal filed by the substituted PDP governorship candidate for Taraba, Danladi Baido against Governor Danbaba Suntai.
The presiding Judge, Justice Ahmad Belgore,announced the adjournment of the case in Jos.
Belgore also ordered all the counsel to file their written addresses by April 10, saying that the ruling on the motion would be delivered before April 30.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Baido had appealed against the January 9 judgment of the Taraba Election Petitions Tribunal at the Jos Division of the Court of Appeal.
According to the appellant, the tribunal erred in law when it failed to order ``suo motu" the joining of Danladi Baido in the Taraba governorship election petition before it.
The substituted PDP's candidate said had the tribunal joined him in the petition, it would have declared him as the elected governor of Taraba and returned him as such.
``There was more than ample evidence before the tribunal to show that the appellant won the election and was consequently, the person elected as governor," he said.
According to Baido, the evidence before the tribunal shows that Suntai was neither the candidate of the PDP nor any political party and could not have contested the election.
Baido therefore, sought the declaration that he was the governorship candidate of the PDP in the April 14, 2007 polls and that he was indeed, the person duly elected governor of Taraba.
The Supreme Court had last year in a similar case filed by Rotimi Amaechi against the PDP, sacked Celestine Omehia as the governor of Rivers and declared Amaechi as the governor.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that all the roads leading to the Court of Appeal, Jos, venue of the case, were manned by stern-looking armed security personnel.