Geoffrey Anyanwu, Awka
The National Assembly Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Awka Anambra State, yesterday, upheld the elections of Uche Ekwunife of Anambra Central Senatorial District and Ifeanyi Ubah of Anambra South Senatorial District.
Justice Okara Ebimie Thelma-led tribunal affirmed the victories of the duo while delivering judgment in three petitions, one from the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) candidate, Sen. Victor Umeh against Ekwunife and two against Ifeanyi Ubah by the Uba brothers, Sen. Andy Uba of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and Chief Chris Uba of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
It dismissed the petitions for failing to prove their cases.
Umeh had in his petition alleged that Ekwunife was not qualified to contest on the ground that her party, PDP, did not produce her as a candidate through a legally conducted primary and that, she did not score majority of valid votes cast in the election.
He prayed the tribunal to declare him as the authentic winner of the Anambra Central Senatorial election claiming to have scored majority of the valid votes or, in the alternative nullify the entire poll conducted in the senatorial district and make an order for the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to conduct the poll afresh.
Delivering the tribunal verdict, Justice Sunday Olorundahunsi held that the petitioner failed “woefully” to prove all his cases and, therefore, dismissed the petition.
On the issue of the candidacy, the judge held that the matter was a pre-election matter and did not fall within the jurisdiction of the tribunal.
On the petitions of the Uba brothers which challenged Ubah’s election on the basis that the poll was characterised by large scale electoral fraud including intimidation of INEC officials, voters, non-use of Card-Readers for the conduct of the poll, the judge dismissed all the 19 witnesses brought by the petitioner and rejected the evidences because the Prosecution Witness 1 (P.W1) who relied on the card reader did not prove the allegations levelled against the respondent.
The tribunal consequently held that the duo of Ekwunife and Ifeanyi Ubah were duly elected as winners of the Anambra Central and Anambra South Senatoral Districts.