Appeal Court President Relocates Kogi Governorship Election Petitions Tribunal To Abuja
The President of the Court of Appeal, Justice Monica Dongban-Mensem, has relocated the sitting of the Kogi State Off-cycle Governorship Election Petitions Tribunal from Lokoja to Abuja.
Mr. David Umar Mike, the Secretary of the tribunal, announced the relocation in a statement on Wednesday.
He said the tribunal will now hold its sitting at the National Judicial Institute on Umar Yar’Adua Way, Abuja.
The statement urged litigants to take note of the venue change.
Mike, however, was silent on the reason behind the relocation, but a top source at the tribunal said the step was necessitated by “security reasons.”
The source said that members of staff of the tribunal had been attacked on several occasions in Lokoja.
“Just last Monday, tribunal officials were attacked on the way to the office.
“Armed men just pounced on the officials. They robbed them of everything. They took away all the documents that were in the car.
“Copies of petitions and personal belongings, official receipts, processes like subpoena, official stamps, were all stolen.
“Generally, thugs are frustrating the job and the lives of our officials are at stake, making it difficult to work there,” the source said.
The All Progressive Congress won the November 11 off-cycle election, beating the Social Democratic Party coming second and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to third position.
(NAN)
