The ongoing suit at the Tribunal filed by the All Progressives Grand Alliance gubernatorial candidate Dr. Alex Otti which seeks to nullify the victory of Governor Okezie Ikpeazu ended today with both party’s presenting and adopting their written addresses before the tribunal.
Making their last submissions during the court proceedings, lead counsel to the petitioner Chief Lateef Fagbemi [SAN] prayed the court to nullify the said gubernatorial election which was conducted on the 9th day of March 2019, because of none compliance with the electoral act and the electoral guidelines in the conduct of the election.
Chief Fagbemi posited that there’s a new regime regarding voting, stating that in the current electoral guideline it states that a voter must be duly certified by electoral officers before voting, adding that in the election, such was not followed at all.
Fagbemi explained that the petitioner alleged that his votes were wrongly rejected and that in some instances, the use of card reader machine was disregarded as well as high level of malpractices during the election.
He stated that he was glad that INEC has never disputed the fact that some aspects of the election was marred by irregularities and none compliance with the rule regarding the conduct of election.
On his part, lead counsel to the first respondent Chief Wole Olanipekun [SAN] urged the tribunal to dismiss the petition because the petitioner have no confidence in their case regarding the use of card reader in the election.
Chief Olanipekun explained that in paragraph 5.30 of their petition it was misleading statutorily and judiciary, pointing out that the issue of card reader was never an issue and that one recurring decimal in the conduct of election since 1999 has never changed.
Counsel to the third respondent, Chief Onyechi Ikpeazu [SAN] he said that the case was of the petitioner was done on a wrong premise, noting that voting is not accreditation and that accreditation is not voting, arguing that out of the 788 polling units, the petitioner had only 65 polling unit agents.
The presiding judge while ruling on the matter thanked both party’s for their wonderful presentation and urged them to remain calm till the day both parties will be communicated to on the date for the judgment
