The Abia State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal said on Friday that it would commence hearing in the petition before it on August 10.
Its Chairman, Justice Usman Bwala, gave the date in Umuahia during its sitting.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the petition was filed by the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Grand Alliance in the April election, Dr. Alex Otti.
Otti is challenging the declaration of Governor Okezie Ikpeazu as the winner of the poll by the Independent National Electoral Commission.
The date for the hearing indicates the end of pretrial of the petition challenging the declaration of Ikpeazu as the governor of Abia State.
The judge also said ruling in the motion filed by Ikpeazu urging the tribunal to strike out the petition for incompetence, would be taken along with the judgment.
The counsel for Ikpeazu, Adeniyi Akinlola (SAN), had argued in his motion that the petitioner’s application for pretrial was filed out of time.
Akintola described the application as “invalid and premature” and should be struck out.
The counsel for the Peoples Democratic Party, Paul Ananaba (SAN), and that of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Hargler Okorie, reinforced Akintola’s argument and urged the tribunal to dismiss the petition on grounds of incompetence.
They further urged the tribunal to rule on the motion before adjourning Friday’s sitting.
They said the ruling should not be deferred till the end of hearing as earlier ruled in other motions.
Responding, Otti’s counsel, Abiodun Owonikoko (SAN), said the application for pretrial was duly filed on June 19, contrary to the Akintola’s claim that it was filed on June 22.
Owonikoko brought some comic relief to the court hall when he told the tribunal that the June 22 date referred to by Akintola was in respect of a petition they both handled in the Imo State governorship petition and not the Abia State case.
He therefore urged the tribunal to strike out Akintola’s motion.
The tribunal chairman said ruling on the motion would be taken with the judgment to save time.
He said pretrial report had been given to all the litigants and fixed August 10 for the commencement of the trial of the petition.
The judge also advised the petitioner to prepare to call his witnesses and warned against “interjections” from lawyers in the audience.
NAN.