Election Tribunals Begin Sitting In Anambra, Abia

The Elections Petitions Tri
bunals have commenced sitting in Awka, Ananbra State and Umuahia, Abia State. The Tribunal in Awka will determine the 30 petitions arising from the 2015 general elections in the state.
Sources said the tribunal received four petitions from senatorial poll, 12 from House of Representatives election and 14 from states’ assembly election.
The Chairman of the three-member panel, Justice Nayai Aganaba, at the inaugural sitting, solicited the cooperation of lawyers in determining the matters within the stipulated 180 days.
Aganaba, flanked by Justice I.D. Garba and Justice Gani Hamidu as members, assured that the panel would ensure that justice was done to all petitioners.
He said, “we have heard of unsavory situations during election petition trials in the state, but we believe that it is not a do-or-die affair.
“The quality of evidence and rules governing electoral matters provided by counsel will determine whether someone won or lost the election.
“Any attempt to try to sway us in one way or the other will not work; the only attempt that will work is to sway us toward advocacy.”
The tribunal chairman urged lawyers to show respect for one another and teach the younger lawyers what it took to be lawyers.
Earlier, the Anambra State government had assured the panel of adequate security and conducive environment to carry out their duty.
And in Abia State, the All Progressives  Grand Alliance (APGA) governorship candidate, Dr Alex Otti,  is seeking the nullification of the election of Dr Okezie Ikpeazu, as the governor.
Ikpeazu, the Peoples Democratic Party’s (PDP) candidate was declared winner of the election.
The 411-page petition was filed at the Governorship Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Umuahia.
One of Otti’s counsel, Mr Ken Ahia, who filed the petition, told newsmen that the plea was based on the grounds that the governorship poll was “marred by a lot of irregularities.”
The petitioner urged the tribunal to nullify the results from Obingwa, Osisioma, Isialangwa North and Ugwunagbo local government areas due to election malpractices in those areas.
The counsel said the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and PDP were also joined in the suit.
He said that the six-member legal team was headed by Chief Akin Olujunmi, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria.
It would be recalled that INEC declared Ikpeazu the winner of the election, having polled 264,713 votes against 180,882 polled by Otti.