The Governorship Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Umuahia on Friday dismissed the petition challenging the election of Dr Okezie Ikpeazu’s re-election as Governor of Abia.

The All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) and its candidate, Dr Alex Otti had approached the tribunal to nullify the declaration of Ikpeazu of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the petitioners alleged that Ikpeazu did not win the majority of the lawful votes cast in the March 9, 2019 election.

NAN reports that Otti came third while Uche Ogah, the candidate of All Progressive Congress (APC) was second in the governorship election.

However, the petitioners urged the tribunal to declare the election invalid by reasons of criminal practices, non-substantial compliance with the electoral guidelines, and over voting in 788 polling units in the conduct of the election

Delivering a unanimous judgment, Chairman of the panel, Justice Lekan Ogumonye dismissed the petition for the failure of the petitioners to prove their allegations beyond reasonable doubts.

The tribunal held that testimonies told by 65 polling units agents who appeared as witnesses for the petitioners were not sufficient to prove allegations of over voting in 788 polling units.

The tribunal held that if even there were some infractions in said polling units, they were not substantial to invalidate the entire election.

The tribunal therefore held that the petitioners failed to prove their case beyond reasonable doubt and thereby dismissed it for lacking in merit.

Speaking newsmen, Dr Paul Ananamba, SAN, counsel for the second respondent (Ikpeazu) described the decision as “a landmark judgement borne out of thorough scrutiny and solid analysis.”

And in a related development, The Taraba Governorship Petition Tribunal sitting in Abuja on Friday upheld the election of Gov. Ishaku Darius of the PDP, as the winner of the March 9 governorship election in the state.

Alhaji Abubakar Danladi of the APC filed a petition, challenging the election of Darius.

Delivering judgment, Chairman of the three-member tribunal, Justice M.O Adewara, declared that Danladi and his party, APC, were not qualified to contest in the election.

Adewara held that due to the disqualification of Danladi by the Federal High Court, Jalingo APC had no candidate in the governorship election and as such can be deemed to not have participated in the election.

“A political party can be said to have participated in an election where it has not been restricted by the law.

“A candidate that has been disqualified isn’t a candidate under the law and the political party should not have sponsored him,” the tribunal ruled. (NAN)

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