http://www.newspoetng.com.ngThe Member-elect, Chikun/Kajuru Federal Constituency Kaduna, Hon Ekene Abubakar Adams has replied the petition filed against him by the Incumbent Rep Member, Hon. Yakubu Umar Barde.
Ekene in his preliminary objection filed on Wednesday through his Counsel, Barrister Muhammed Sani, before the Kaduna State Election Petition Tribunal, said the court lacks jurisdiction to hear the case.
It could be recalled that Barde, has dragged the Member-elect, Ekene before the Kaduna state election tribunal demanding for his returned as the duly elected candidate.
Barde, popularly known as “No shaking” was elected in 2003 to 2023 under the platform of People’s Democratic Party (PDP) for five tenures.
However, the just concluded general elections produced Hon. Ekene of the Labour Party, (LP) to represent the good people of Chikun Kajuru Federal Constituency.
Speaking with Journalists shortly after the sitting, the counsel To Hon. Ekene, Barrister Muhammed Sani, said they have responded to all the petitions served on his client.
Sani said that Barde and his Counsel does not have anything tangible to present against his client, adding that the allegations label on Ekene is incompetent and does not have any jurisdiction to dislodge the Member-elect.
He said, “Today is the first day, we have filed a preliminary objection challenging the jurisdiction of the petition itself. So the tribunal adjourned to next week.
“As far as we are concerned, the petition is incompetent. We have raised grounds that the petition is incompetent and the court has no jurisdiction to even listen to it.” Sani said.
In the same vein, the Counsel to Hon. Umar Yakubu Barde, Samuel Atung, SAN said his client won the election on the ground that the LP candidate was disqualified from contesting the election therefore, the court should declared his client winner.
Atung said they have every necessary evidence to win the case but will not comment further on the ground of prejudices.
Assuring litigants before the sitting, the Chairman, Kaduna state Election Tribunal, (name withheld) promised to deliver justice in full accordance with the rule of law.
He said the tribunal have atleast 20 cases before him, meanwhile judgement will be strict based on facts presented by each parties.
The court has adjourned the case for hearing on the 12th of May, 2023.
In the same development, angry residents of the constituency, stormed the court in solidarity with it’s Member-elect, Hon. Ekene Abubakar Adams with placards carrying different inscriptions: “no more 20-years of poor representation, we say no to slavery,
Chikun/Kajuru is free at last, said they turned out en masse to defend their mandate.
