The tribunal chairman, Justice I. Bukar, fixed the date ruling after listening to an application filed and argued on yesterday by Dodo, counsel to Sen. David Mark.
Dodo argued that the petition, filed by Usman Abubakar of ANPP, challenging the election of Mark at the last April’s polls, was technically faulty.
NAN reports that Dodo had prayed the tribunal to strike out the petition on the premise that the evidence the petitioner filed along with the petition, did not suggest that Mark committed any electoral fraud during the election.
Dodo further stated that allowing the case to drag on without any substantial evidence of electoral crime against his client, would amount to waste of the time of the tribunal.
He said that the petition lacked merit and should be immediately struck out.
Opposing application, Counsel to Abubakar of the ANPP, Mr Wole Olanikpekun (SAN), argued that the petition should be sustained.
He said the application was a ploy being used by the Counsel to Mark to delay the actual commencement of the case.
Olanikpekun, submitted that the petition fell “squarely within the tenure, spirit and contemplation of the tribunal”.