Benue Election Tribunal Judge Quits, Over threat to life

Prof Steve Ugbah, Benue State ACN Governorship Candidate

Justice Munir Ladan handling the Election Tribunal case involving Governor Gabriel Suswam of the People's Democratic Party, PDP, Benue State and his opponent Prof Steve Ugba of the Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN in the last April election has quit citing threat to his life and family.

This is barely a month after Justice Daisy Okocha who was assigned the case was advised to discontinue handling of the case by the President of the Court of Appeal after she had complained about insecurity of her life

Sources close to the Judge told pointblanknews.com that Justice Ladan has been receiving threat calls and message and that his house in Kaduna was broken into by unknown gun men while valuable electoral materials carted away.

The Election Tribunal had last week Tuesday, dismissed Governor Gabriel Suswam's motion seeking to terminate the petition filed by Professor Steve Ugbah of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), challenging his election.

 
The tribunal also dismissed the motion of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), challenging the jurisdiction of the tribunal to order the commencement of pre-trial session.

The tribunal, however, ruled in favour of the governor's motion seeking to regularise the applications brought before it by him and the ruling People's Democratic Party (PDP).