Ortom Closes Defense Before Governorship Election Tribunal

Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom, has closed his defence at the governorship election petition tribunal sitting in Makurdi, after calling a witness in the petition filed by Mr Emmanuel Jime of the All Progressive Congress challenging his re-election.

Counsel to the governor, Mr Sebastian, who was the second respondent, told the tribunal that the cross-examination of the petitioner’s witnesses and their failure to sign the witness statements on oath, showed the petitioner’s inability to prove the allegation of irregularities at the poll.

On his part, counsel to the petitioner, Mr Kehinde Eleja, told journalists at the end of the sitting, that the petitioner has sufficiently proven its case of over-voting.

He said he believed the tribunal would determine that the use of card readers was compulsory in the 2019 general election.