By: Shaft
The Ebonyi State cum National Assembly Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Abakaliki, the state capital has granted a motion ex-parte filed by the APC Candidate for Ikwo /Ezza South Federal Constituency, in the 2019 Federal House of Representatives Elections, Comrade Chinedu Ogah.
The Petitioner secured the motion through his team of Legal Counsels, with the mandate to serve the first Defendant, Hon. Lazarus Nweru Ogbe of the PDP, Ogah’s Petition by pasting the Petition in the Respondent’s residence/premises in his Ebiaji village, Amaezekwe, Ezza South LGA of Ebonyi State.
Counsels to the Petitioner, C.A.C Efife; E. O. Ekpe; and U. F. Inah, approached the Tribunal with charge No EPT/EB/REP/01/2019 seeking the leave of the Tribunal to serve the Petition to the 1st Respondent/ Defendant, Hon. Ogbe through a substituted serving means.
The Petitioner was authorized accordingly by the Tribunal’s ruling, to serve the Respondent by pasting the Petition at the gate of Ogbe’s premises, supported by photographs of the serving procedure and processes.
The Counsels to the Complainant quoted Section 6 Subsection 6 A of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, as amended, and supported by a 14 paragraph affidavit sworn to by the Petitioner, accompanied by another affidavit affirming the plea for adoption of substituted petition serving means, different from the conventional means and processes notably by a Court Bailiff.
The Chairman of the Tribunal, Hon justice A.A. Babawale, while ruling, granted the motion ex-parte as prayed by the Counsels to the Petitioner, and instructed the serving processes should be conducted under aerial view photographs as proof of substantive evidence of required
due process.
The Petitioner and his legal Counsels based on available evidence, have complied with the Tribunal’s ruling and executed the order accordingly.
Abia Facts News (AFN) Reporter is monitoring closely this petition and will continue to provide further information and updates as this matter progresses in the Tribunal.
