LG Elections Petition Tribunal Assures On Fairness

The Rivers State Local Government Elections Petition Tribunal Sitting in Port Harcourt has promised to ensure equal justice to litigants in the tribunal.

The Chairman of the Tribunal Panel 1 Justice Emeka Woke gave the assurance during the inaugural sitting of the tribunal last Wednesday in Port Harcourt.

Justice Woke said that the Tribunal would ensure that equal justice was given to all parties involved in the tribunal and urged the parties to assist the tribunal to achieve its mandate.

He stated that the inaugural sitting was to inform the public that the tribunal had commenced its proceedings as regards to the local government elections petition.

The chairman disclosed the proceedings of the tribunal would take a judicial expert process and urged the lawyers involved in the tribunal matters to be up and doing.

According to him, the law establishing the tribunal gave 90 days as period for sitting adding that the tribunal would sit daily in order to meet up with the time.

He told the lawyers that the quality of the facts presented before the tribunal would determine their expected judgement.

“If  you are not ready to work, don’t expect the tribunal to work for you.  So, you must present your facts as necessary” he stated.

The chairman, however, reminded lawyers before the tribunal to ensure that they serve copies of their petitions to their respondents so as to speed up the case.

It would be recalled that the State Chief Judge, Justice Ichendu on Monday June 3, 2011 inaugurated the local government elections petition tribunal to look into petitions that arose from the just concluded local government elections in the State.