The Ebonyi state National Assembly and House of Representatives Election petition tribunal sitting in Abuja has reserved judgement on three petitions challenging the election of David Umahi, All Progressive Congress candidate for Ebonyi South Senatorial District in Ebonyi state.
The Tribunal consolidated the petition filed by Labour party and it’s senatorial candidate Linus Okorie, the petition filed by Senator Michael Nnachi of the People’s Democratic Party Candidate PDP and that of Chief Eleje, APGA candidate in the election.
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The three petitions are challenging the election of David Umahi, for Ebonyi South Senatorial District in Ebonyi state on grounds of electoral irregularities, malpractices, over voting, Mutilation among others.
Counsel representing Linus Okorie and Labour Party Abdulkareem Dauda, counsel for APC, INEC and David Umahi all took turns to adopt their final written addresses.
While Okorie, the petitioner prayed the court to grant his petition and all the grounds sought, the respondents counsel objected to all the petitioner’s grounds and urged the court to dismiss the petition for lacking in merit and for failing for prove allegations of irregularities and over voting.
Counsel representing Umahi, Roy Umahi, and the counsel representing APC Abdul Ibrahim however asked the court to dismiss the case with substantial cost.
On the Petition filed by the PDP and it’s Candidate Senator Michael Nnachi, counsel representing the petitioner Tochukwu Maduka SAN, pondered on the issues of irregularities and fraud as he adopted his final written addresses in urging the court to grant the grounds of his petition as well as the petition.
Counsel representing the respondents however opposed to the application and urged the court to dismiss the petition in its entirety for lacking in merit and for failing to prove its case beyond reasonable doubt.
Parties in the petition filed by APGA and its candidate Chief Eleje also adopted their final written addresses for and against the petition and the tribunal reserved judgement in all three petitions to a date to be communicated to parties.
Editor Paul Akhagbemhe
