The Akwa Ibom State governorship tribunal has ordered a rerun of the April 11 governorship election in the state.
The Tribunal ordered Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to conduct re-run election in 18 local government areas of the state. There are 31 LGs in Akwa Ibom.Giving its verdict on Wednesday, the Tribunal said it was satisfied that there were discrepancies during the governorship election held on April 11.
The Tribunal further asked the Independent National Electoral Commission to conduct the re-run elections.
Meanwhile, Leadership reports,there was celebration in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, Uyo, the Akwa Ibom State capital, and Lagos on Wednesday, following the rulling of the governorship tribunal.
In its ruling, the tribunal headed by Justice Sadiq Umar, ordered re-run of election in 18 out of the 31 local government areas of Akwa Ibom State.
Candidate for the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the governorship election for Akwa Ibom, Umana Umana, had approached the tribunal challenging conduct of the election and declaration of Udom Emmanuel as governor of the state.
The tribunal ordered INEC to conduct fresh polls in 18 LGA’s of Nsit Ubium, Nsit Ibom, Ibiono, Uyo, Etinan, Udung Uko, Oruk Anam, Etim Ekpo, Onna, Uruan, Ikono, Ini, Ibesikpo, Nsit Atai, Eket, Ibeno, Ikot Abasi .
Before delivering judgement, the tribunal first ruled on five motions on notice by the respondents.
The first ruling was a 2nd respondent’s motion on notice dated 13th July, 2015, urging the tribunal to dismiss the petition as all witness statements on oath were invalid except that of the 1st petitioner.
He asked that all witness statements deposed to by petitioners witnesses used initials or letters which violates the equal opportunity rule as enshrined in the 1999 Constitution.
The petitioners on their part had prayed the Court to dismiss the motion which it described as an abuse of Court process and submitted that the law allowed the petitioners witnesses to use initials or letters as a means to protect the witnesses in view of what it called Nigeria’s highly volatile political climate where election is deem to be a do and die affair.
The tribunal ruled that the application lacked merit as there was no basis for the submission of the respondent and dismissed the application.
Also on the respondent’s application for a motion on notice to bring an application outside the pre hearing session, praying the tribunal to dismiss the petition because a condition precedence prior to the filing of the petition was not met in that the petitioners witness statements were not deposed before a competent authority and that the witness statement were not in consonance with the oath Act which vitiated the petition.
The tribunal ruled that the tribunal Secretary is by law conferred with judicial authority to so act. The motion was therefore dismissed.
The tribunal also ruled on three consolidated application asking for dismissal of the petition for lack of jurisdiction.
Candidate for the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the governorship election for Akwa Ibom, Umana Umana, had approached the tribunal challenging conduct of the election and declaration of Udom Emmanuel as governor of the state.
The tribunal ordered INEC to conduct fresh polls in 18 LGA’s of Nsit Ubium, Nsit Ibom, Ibiono, Uyo, Etinan, Udung Uko, Oruk Anam, Etim Ekpo, Onna, Uruan, Ikono, Ini, Ibesikpo, Nsit Atai, Eket, Ibeno, Ikot Abasi .
Before delivering judgement, the tribunal first ruled on five motions on notice by the respondents.
The first ruling was a 2nd respondent’s motion on notice dated 13th July, 2015, urging the tribunal to dismiss the petition as all witness statements on oath were invalid except that of the 1st petitioner.
He asked that all witness statements deposed to by petitioners witnesses used initials or letters which violates the equal opportunity rule as enshrined in the 1999 Constitution.
The petitioners on their part had prayed the Court to dismiss the motion which it described as an abuse of Court process and submitted that the law allowed the petitioners witnesses to use initials or letters as a means to protect the witnesses in view of what it called Nigeria’s highly volatile political climate where election is deem to be a do and die affair.
The tribunal ruled that the application lacked merit as there was no basis for the submission of the respondent and dismissed the application.
Also on the respondent’s application for a motion on notice to bring an application outside the pre hearing session, praying the tribunal to dismiss the petition because a condition precedence prior to the filing of the petition was not met in that the petitioners witness statements were not deposed before a competent authority and that the witness statement were not in consonance with the oath Act which vitiated the petition.
The tribunal ruled that the tribunal Secretary is by law conferred with judicial authority to so act. The motion was therefore dismissed.
The tribunal also ruled on three consolidated application asking for dismissal of the petition for lack of jurisdiction.
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