Amaechi Urges Tribunal To Dismiss APGA’s Petition

Governor Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers State and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) urged the Governorship Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Port Harcourt to dismiss the matter filed by Sir Celestine Omehia, the governorship candidate of All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA).

In their separate submission on Friday at the hearing on the petition filed by the APGA and its governorship candidate, Sir Celestine Omehia, counsels to Governor Amaechi, I.A. Adedipe (SAN), PDP, Ighodato Madegbelo (SAN) and INEC, Emmanuel Ukala (SAN) told the tribunal to dismiss the petition on fact of the law.

According to the counsels, the petitioner erred by not adhering to the rules of the Electoral Act pointing out that the petitioners wrote a letter to the secretary of the secretariat instead of bringing their petition through a motion.

They urged the tribunal not to entertain the petition because it fails to follow the normal process.

However, in their own presentation, counsel to the All Progressive Grand Alliance and Celestine Omehia, Barrister J.E. Ezike urged that it was right in the eyes of the law to write a letter or filed a motion.

Barrister Ezike urged the court to dismiss the prayers sought by the counsels to Amaechi, (PDP) and INEC on the ground that their prayers lacks cohesion and baseless.

Ruling on the applications, the Tribunal chairman, Justice Amina Wambai fixed July 27, 2011 as date to rule on the petition filed by the All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA), governorship candidate, Sir Celestine Omehia challenging the declaration of Governor Chibuike Rotimi Amaech of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), as the winner of the April general elections in the state.