2019 polls: Imo tops list with 76 election petition cases

Imo state has the highest number of election petition cases with a total of 76 petitions across board.

This was disclosed Wednesday by the President of the Court of Appeal, Justice Zainab Bulkachuwa, who confirmed that six different panels have been constituted to hear the cases.

The Justice revealed that election petitions cases were filed in all states of the federation except Jigawa state where no was.

Justice Bulkachuwa made the revelation in her inaugural speech at the commencement of the presidential election petition tribunal.

“So far, we have empanelled 78 panels to cover the election tribunals in all states of the federation, excluding Jigawa state where no election petition had been filed.

“The panels are now in place and have started hearing the petitions. They are, presently, 786 petitions, with Imo state having the highest number of 76 petitions which necessitated the posting of six panels to the state.

“In a similar manner, section 239(1) (a) of the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999, as amended, stipulates that the Court of Appeal has original jurisdiction to the exclusion of any other Court in Nigeria, to hear and determine any question as to whether any person has been validly elected to the office of the president or vice-president, hence the emergence of the panel which is empaneled to look into the various petitions filed against the just concluded Presidential election

“This is not the first time this court has been empowered to hear and determine the outcome of a presidential election result since the return to democracy in Nigeria and the coming into law of the 1999 constitution. We did same in 1999, 2003, 2007 and 2011.

“Whenever petitions are filed against an elected president, such a tribunal is set up and it becomes a matter of public interest to the nation.

“The judiciary being the arbiter, there are litigants, counsel, members of the press, and the public who are all stakeholders as the major participants.

“We, therefore, require the maximum cooperation of all the stakeholders, especially from the leaders of the bar. We expect the proceeding to be conducted with decorum, a high sense of responsibility, dedication, and patriotism in our quest to arrive at just decisions in all the petitions before us.

“We assure all stakeholders that each litigant will be given equal opportunity to present his case in a mature manner before us”, she said adding that “no matter how well election is conducted, there are bound to be complaints”.

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