The Akwa Ibom State Governorship Election Tribunal holden at the High Court of Federal Capital Territory Complex, Maitama, Abuja, has struck out a petition by the candidate of the Labour Party, Senator Helen Esuene seeking to nullify the election of the Governor of Akwa Ibom State, Mr Udom Emmanuel.

Presiding Judge, Hon Justice A. S. Umar, at the weekend, held that the petition was incompetent.

Mr Paul Usoro, Counsel to the Akwa Ibom State governor, had challenged the competence of the Labour Party candidate petition on grounds that Exhibit A, the purported Certified True Copy of the Signature page of the Petition, attached to the Petitioners’ Counter Affidavit to the Motion, is not a Certified True Copy having failed to satisfy the requirements of Section 104 and 105 of the Evidence Act.

The lawyer also held that the petition in the record of the tribunal did not disclose the signatory thereof as none of the names of counsel listed therein was ticked to indicate who signed the Petition.

The Senior Advocate of Nigeria also contended that any attempt by the tribunal to carry out an investigation in order to discover the signatory will amount to converting the tribunal into a forensic laboratory and concluded that the petitioners have failed to comply with the provisions of paragraph 4(3) of the First Schedule of the Electoral Act.

The Judges unanimously agreed with counsel to Mr Udom Emmanuel on all the grounds and therefore struck out the petition on grounds of incompetence.

Mr Usoro (SAN) who hailed the ruling commended the tribunal for the quick dispensation of Justice and assured that Mr Udom Emmanuel will triumph in the cases brought against him by those who had lost the election in Akwa Ibom State as the will of the people who had freely voted him would be upheld.

•Photo shows Senator Esuene

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