BREAKING: (UPDATED) A’Court Sacks Akwa Ibom Governor, Orders Fresh Poll

Posted by African Examiner Featured, Latest Headlines, News Friday, December 18th, 2015

By Ayo Balogun, Abuja

BALTIMORE, MD (AFRICAN EXAMINER) – A court of Appeal sitting in Abuja has nullified the entire election which produced Mr. Udom Emmanuel as the Governor of Akwa Ibom State, South South Nigeria.

In a lead judgment on the parallel appeal filed by the respondent and candidate of the ruling APC, Chief Umana Umana to the first appeal by Governor Emmanuel of the opposition PDP, JusticeAdedotun Adefope Friday, ruled that the State’s Election Petition Tribunal was wrong in its refusal to comply with the section 179 (2) of the Constitution.

The Appellate court held that it agreed with the evidence of the parallel appellant’s principal witnesses; video evidence with respect to the misconduct at by the State’s collation agents.

Giving the lapses, Justice Adefope held that the tribunal should have ruled that there was no collation; that votes were arbitrarily allocated to the PDP candidate – the incumbent Governor Emmanuel, who was the respondent in the cross appeal.

It would be recalled that the lower Tribunal about two months ago, ruled that the results of the 18 out 31 local government areas of Akwa Ibom be canceled and subsequently ordered for a rerun in the affected areas.

The ruling was not satisfactory to both the petitioner (APC candidate) and respondent Governor Emmanuel at the lower Court, prompting the first appeal by the PDP candidate and a cross appeal by Umana, the APC candidate.

The Appellate Court maintained that the lower Tribunal was wrong in canceling only 18 out of the entire LGA’s of the State. Justice Adefope consequently nullified the entire election in the 31 local government of the State

Following the ruling, the court ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to conduct a fresh election within 90 days.

Earlier, the Appeal Court, ruling on the appeal filed by Governor Emmanuel upheld the ruling of the lower Tribunal in its ruling which nullified election results in the 18 LGAs.