The President of the Court of Appeal(COA) Justice Zainab Bulkachuwa has relocated the Bayelsa Elections Petitions Tribunal to Abuja for security reasons.

The tribunal which had its office at the Bayelsa State High Court premises Onopa road, Yenagoa, Bayelsa State capital had a total of 18 petitions before it over results declared by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for the national and house of Assembly elections.

Investigations revealed that the President of the Court of Appeal had been inundated with series of petitions bordering on the level of insecurity in the state and the dangers it portends for the smooth sitting and safety of tribunal members.

The petitions made references to the sack of the election petitions tribunal at the premises of the Federal High Court in 2015 by suspected hoodlums loyal to a particular political party and urged the President of the COA to relocate the sitting so as to ensure an objective adjudication of the election petitions.

The letter signed by the Chief Registrar, Election Petitions Tribunal, Court of Appeal, Mrs. Rabi Abdulazeez with reference number CA/EPT/68/VOL1 addressed to the tribunal members stated that the relocation was for security reasons.

The letter reads in part “I am directed by the Honourable [President, Court of Appeal, Hon Justice Z. A Bulkachuwa CFR to inform you that she has relocated the Bayelsa State National and State House of Assembly Election Petitions Tribunal from Yenagoa to Abuja for security reasons”

•Excerpted from Daily Sun report