Tribunal Reserves Judgement in Imo North Senate Rerun Election

Parties involved in the Imo North Senate election tussle on Tuesday closed their cases before the National Assembly Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Abuja.

It would be recalled that the tribunal was moved from Owerri to Abuja for security reasons, partly occasioned by open threat to respondent witnesses by the petitioner, Chief Athan Achonu.

At the resumed hearing on Tuesday, Counsel to the candidate of the People's Democratic Party (PDP), Ken Njemaze (SAN), told the tribunal that he had filed the party’s final written address.

Njemanze prayed the court to nullify the election of Senator Benjamin Uwajumogu on the grounds that the election was marred by irregularities and that the elections were concluded on the 23rd instead of the 28th July conclusion date provided by the independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

His political party, the PDP did not join him in the legal tussle.

Counsel to the candidate of All Progressive Congress (APC), Chief Okey Ehieze , prayed the tribunal to discountenance and dismiss the petition of Chief Athan Achonu for lack of merit.

“Achonu's petition lacks merit and there is no standard ground for which the petition should be given credence,” Ehieze said.

On their own part, the Counsel for the INEC, Barr Wale Okajide and that of the APC, Barr Wisdom Durueke also prayed the tribunal to dismiss the petition of Senator Achonu since he failed to substantiate his petition and allegations.

" it appeared there was no case before the tribunal since the INEC and The police star witness tendered copies of original results and other important documents that proved that the elections were free and fair and that supplementary elections actually held on the 28th of July to conclude the 23rd of July election process" said Durueke.

According to Durueke, the inability of the defence council to provide weighty documents to substantiate their petition and as well, provide party agent tags and other relevant documents that could prove the identity of their witnesses as authentic party agents was one of the major reasons why tribunal should dismiss the petition as lacking merit.

The Chairman of the tribunal, Justice Kwajafa, reserved judgement after all the parties had filed their final written addresses.

Kwajafa said the judgement date would be communicated to all parties in the matter.

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