The Akwa Ibom Local Government Election Petition Tribunal sitting in the three senatorial districts has dismissed 13 petitions emanating from the All Progressives Congress (APC) against candidates of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on the conduct of local government elections held in October 2024

The tribunal affirmed the victory of 13 chairmanship candidates of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) that were dragged to the tribunal.

The state legal adv?ser of the PDP, Ekemini Uba disclosed this during a press conference in Uyo to mark the end of the tribunal session.

Uba said the tribunal had to strike out those petitions as they were not filed within the time frame stipulated by law.

? Pre hearing notice was not filed within the time frame as required by law .

? Again, the petitioners approached the tribunal based on the electoral law contrary to Akwa Ibom state election petition laws.

? The petitioners were against our candidates for the Championship of Abak and Ibiono Ibom local government areas and for the Councillorship in 11 of the 14 wards in Ibiono Ibom local government area and others ?

Uba explained that as respondents the PDP filed briefs in all the cases challenging competences of the petitioners before the Tribunals and prayed that their cases should be dismissed.

Uba, who was accompanied by the PDP Publicity Secretary Edwin Ebiese, said after due consideration of all the cases, the tribunal in Akwa Ibom North West (Ikot Ekpene) and Akwa Ibom North East (Uyo) respectively dismissed the APC petitions and reaffirmed victories of PDP candidates in the 13 local government areas of the state.

? In upholding our submissions, the tribunal held that the petitions were incompetent having been filed out of time?

Uba congratulated the leader of PDP in the state pastor Umo Eno for playing vital role in the political stability of the state .

He appealed to politicians in the state to emulate governor Umo Eno for showing that election and politics should not be a do or die affair.

? Though PDP was defeated in some areas, he never allowed us to contest those defeats at the tribunal.

? He believes that God gives power to whom he wishes and that there are always new opportunities to explore beyond after election.

? Pastor Umo Eno has reconciled many back to PDP in different ways. APC supporters benefit from Umo Eno?s compassionate home and all members of the family and entire community are now members of PDP,? he said. (The Nation)

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