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Joe Effiong, Uyo
After a long wait, the Akwa Ibom National Assembly Elections Petitions Tribunal has dismissed the petition by Senator Godswill Akpabio and his party the APC, challenging the election of Senator Chris Ekpenyong to represent Akwa Ibom North West otherwise called Ikot Ekpene senatorial district.
The chairman of the tribunal, W. O Akanbi, in his lead judgement, said the petitioners failed to prove their case beyond reasonable doubt and subsequently dismissed Akpabio and his party’s petitions for lack of merit.
Akanbi, therefore, ruled in favour of Sen Chris Ekpenyong with the second judge concurring with him. The later judge said: “Petitioners have failed to prove how they arrived at 65,000 votes in Essien Udim. Election petition must be proved beyond a reasonable doubt.”
There, however, appeared to be a split judgement as the third judge while giving his ruling at the time of filing this report, was tending in support of Sen Godswill Akpabio’s petition.
