Umeh kicks as tribunal upholds Ekwunife, Ubah’s victories

The Anambra State Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Awka, Anambra State, on Monday, upheld the elections of Senator Uche Ekwunife of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in the suit challenging her victory by Chief Victor Umeh of All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA).

The tribunal led by Justice Ebime Okara in the lead judgment in the case instituted by the APGA candidate for Anambra Central Senatorial District, Senator Umeh, dismissed the suit seeking to nullify Ekwunife’s victory on the ground that she was neither lawful nominated as the PDP candidate nor properly substituted to carry the party’s flag.

Okara held that Ekwunife was properly nominated while striking out the suit as being a pre-election matter.

Reacting to Ekwunife’s victory, Umeh asked his supporters to remain calm as he would appeal against the judgment,  

 Ebime Okara led tribunal equally upheld the election of Senator Ifeanyi Ubah of the Young Progressives Party (YPP) and dismissed the petitions filed by both Chris Uba of PDP and his brother, Andy Uba of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

The tribunal dismissed the petitions filed by Chris Uba of PDP for grossly lacking in merit.

It held  that there were contradictions on the part of the petitioner and most of his witnesses who claimed that smart card readers were not used in the election, on one hand, and smart card readers were not properly used in the elections on the other hand.

 The three-man tribunal also faulted the ground of Uba’s petition that the election was marred by violence and irregularities, noting that the petitioner failed to prove his case of criminality against the eleventh petitioner (Ubah) and his agents.

It held that  the evidences of the petitioner and most of his witnesses were suspect, not credible and unacceptable.

The tribunal had in a consolidated case which featured Uba’s suit with that of his brother, Andy Uba of the All Progressives Congress (APC), also dismissed the suit filed by APC candidate seeking the cancellation of the election.

In a swift reaction, Senator Ubah thanked both God and the tribunal for the judgment which he declared was in line with the mandate given him by his constitutes  

But Chris Uba’s lead counsel, George Ikwueto (SAN) represented by Dennis Ndubuisi Ezika said the petitioner would appeal against the judgment, faulting the position of the tribunal on contradictions and irregularities.

Ikwueto insisted that the election was marred by gross irregularities and poor accreditation process which did not tally with the result generated.

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