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The Election Petitions Tribunal sitting in Awka, yesterday, dismissed the application filed by Nkem Ekweozor of the Progressive Peoples Alliance (PPA), seeking the panel to relist his petition against Sen. Uche Ekwunife of the PDP.
Ekwuozor, who was the candidate of the PPA in the February 23, 2019 senatorial election for Anambra Central, had approached the tribunal on August 5, seeking it to relist the petition which was struck out in April.
The petitioner filed his petition on March 18.
In his petition, the applicant had urged the tribunal to upturn the declaration of Ekwunife as the winner of the poll, claiming that the election was marred by irregularities and did not comply with the Electoral Act of 2010 (as amended).
He urged the tribunal to nullify the election and order a fresh exercise.
Delivering ruling , Justice Esther Haruna, Chairperson of the tribunal, held that Ekwuozor did not demonstrate enough seriousness on having the petition relisted.
The judge ruled that seeking relisting of a petition such as was struck out in April, four months later, did not depict the serious nature of litigation business adding that he should have applied immediately.
She held that it amounted to abuse of court process and dismissed the application.
Speaking to newsmen after the ruling, Ekweozor said he would appeal the ruling because he was convinced he a had strong case against Ekwunife’s election.
