Tuesday 7 February 2012

GUBER TRIBUNAL: UDOEDEHE WINS AKPABIO (UPDATED)


Gov. Akpabio/Sen. Udoedehe
The Gubernatorial candidate of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) to the last year elections in Akwa Ibom State, Senator John James Akpanudoedehe was today, Tuesday, given some hope by the new tribunal sitting in Uyo. The petition filed by the Counsels to His Excellency, the Governor of Akwa Ibom, Chief Godswill Akpabio which prayed the tribunal not hear the case (of electoral fraud as filed by Udoedehe) because it was not filed within 180 days as specified by Electoral Act was struck out by tribunal today.


It could be recalled that the PDP had said that the 180 given their rivals to file their complaints had elapsed before they (ACN) did so. But the tribunal gave Udoedehe a lifeline as the case is now to be heard on merit not on irregularities of filing the case. 

The case has been adjourned to Thursday, 9th February, 2012. This is some sort of victory for the Uyo-born politician and a relieve to his supporters whose hope for succour had started dwindling. 

 Below is a facebook post by the Distinguished Senator of the Federal Republic:


Friends, the Court of Appeal has today thrown out the petition filed by Chief Godswill Akpabio to stop the trial of the gubernatorial election dispute in Akwa Ibom State. It would be recalled that after the Supreme Court had overturned the ruling of the Tribunal in Uyo and that of the Appeal Court in Calabar, in which our quest for justice was dismissed by the two courts on technical reasons, Mr.... Bayo Ojo, the lawyer representing Akpabio, filed a petition with the Tribunal to have the case thrown out again using the 180 days technical argument, ignoring the DE NOVO clause of the Supreme Court. With this victory that God has given us today, it means the case will now go on trial proper and that will provide both sides the opportunity to produce evidence that will convince the court on who, between I and Akpabio actually won the governorship election conducted on April 26, 2011. TO GOD BE GLORY.


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