Colonel Sani Bello, father to the Niger State Governor, Abubakar Sani Bello; former Registrar, National Examinations Council, Prof. Promise Okpala; Education Secretary, Mokwa Local Government Area of Niger State; and the Acting Registrar of NECO may be issued a bench warrant on Thursday by the Niger State Gubernatorial Election Petitions Tribunal sitting in Minna.
The Tribunal on Wednesday adjourned ruling on the application by counsel to the petitioners, Mohammed Ndayako, requesting for a bench warrant on the above named persons over their failure to appear before the Tribunal.
Ndayako said the bench warrant became necessary after the parties defaulted on a subpoena issued on them to appear before the tribunal.
It should be recalled that the Peoples Democratic Party PDP in Niger State had in April dragged Governor Bello; his Deputy, Alhaji Ahmed Mohammed Ketso; and the All Progressives Congress to the Tribunal.
Ndayako in his application prayed the the tribunal to issue a warrant of arrest on Colonel Bello, Registrar of NECO, Education Secretary for Mokwa LGA, while Okpala, who was not reached to be served the subpoena, for defaulting on the tribunal’s subpoena issued on them to appear without reason.
He said Government agencies like NECO should be ordinarily 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.
He added that such bodies should jump at an opportunity to catch such suspects.
Responding on behalf of Governor Bello, J.S. Okutepa (SAN) said he objected to the application because the persons named must be served in person and were not listed in the petitioners’ petition before the tribunal.
However, in his remarks, Chairman of the tribunal, Justice I. Igboji, said ruling is reserved for Thursday on whether or not a bench warrant be issued.
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