By Florence Uwaeme
The governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress in the March 18 Rivers state governorship election, Cole Patrick, has expressed dismay over the slow pace of release of Certified True Copies of election materials by the Independent National Electoral Commission.
Counsel representing Cole, Jibrin Okutepa, disclosed this on Tuesday while pleading with the court to extend the pre-hearing stage to get the necessary documents with the threat to Sobphena INEC.
Counsels INEC, Ikani Agabi SAN; PDP Sammie Somiari SAN, and the governor of Rivers state, Fubara Simniliyi, Joshua Musa, said the documents are not needed at the pre-hearing stage but for the trial.
They urged the tribunal to conclude the pre-hearing and give its report.
Okutepa later aligned with the counsel’s suggestion but pleaded for time to enable him to get the necessary documents to prove his case.
While he suggested June 23, the remaining counsel told a date in July; the judge, however, fixed July 3 for the commencement of trial.
The tribunal court Concluded its pre-hearing stage on Cole’s petition and fixed Thursday to provide a report on the pre-hearing stage.
Cole Patrick and the All Progressives Congress previously filed a petition as the first and second petitioners challenging the victory of Rivers State governor Fubara Simniliyi.
However, the All Progressives Congress abandoned the petition leaving Patrick as the only petitioner.
