Election petition: Tribunal upholds Gov. Otti’s election.

By Editor, Umuahia

The election petition tribunal in Umuahia has dismissed the petitions by the candidate of the People’s Democratic party, Okechukwu Ahiwe and the candidate of the All progressives Congress, Ikechi Emenike for lack of merit.

The tribunal delivered separate judgements for both cases which had varying grounds

In her ruling on the matter between Ahiwe and Otti, the chairman of the panel, justice H. Gwadah said the petitioner did not include some of the reliefs sought in the original petition but tried to bring them in through replies.

She held that the tribunal could not grant such as the legal team was “indolent” and “abandoned” it’s case.

She also said that the petitioners failed to prove beyond doubt the allegations of over voting in the various polling units listed from about 9 local government areas, saying that the paltry 2000 votes calculated from the results tendered were a “far cry” to the over 86,000 margin of lead and could not therefore affect win.

On the grounds of forged NYSC certificate, the tribunal was of the opinion that it was not a qualifying or disqualifying document and so had nothing to do with a candidate’s eligibility to run for an election..

The petition having failed on all grounds, was dismissed entirely.

For Ikechi Emenike’s petition which had seven respondents joined in the suit, justice Omolara Adeyemi who read the judgement averred that all his grounds were erroneous.

On the grounds of non qualification of Okey Ahiwe of the PDP, justice Adeyemi held that the apex court had ruled on the matter involving ex governor T. A. Orji and Onyema Ugochukwu wherein it was said that a public servant need not resign before running for an election.

The next ground was the membership stati of Alex Otti in Labour party and that of Enyinnaya Nwafor in Young progressive party where the tribunal restated as it did with Ahiwe’s that it was a pre election matter and strictly the internal affair of the party.

The judge described Emenike as a “meddlesome interloper” who kept “poking nose” into other families’ affairs.

Concerning his claims of securing the highest number of valid votes cast, the tribunal pointed out that though the petitioner listed the units where he felt he won, he failed to call even a single witness to substantiate his claims.

Finally on his attempt to sneak in witnesses through subpoena, the tribunal said those two persons were too party members that the petitioners could have listed in their list of witnesses within the time provided but tried to bring them in using subpoenas. Justice Adeyemi insisted that they were no extra ordinary witnesses and thereafter expunged them from the witness list.

The tribunal consequently affirmed Alex Otti’s election as governor of Abia state, dismissing the petition for being devoid of merit