The Anambra State Governorship Election Tribunal, on Wednesday, dismissed petition challenging the election of Chief Willie Obiano.
The tribunal dismissed the application of the factional candidate of the All Progressives Grand Alliance, (APGA), Dr Chike Obidigbo, his All Progressives Congress,(APC) counterpart, Dr Chris Nwabueze Ngige and the PDP candidate in the election, Comrade Tony Nwoye for lacking in merit.
In the first judgment read by Justice Ishaq Bello led tribunal on the matter between Obidigbo and Obiano, he stated that that Obiano was validly nominated as the candidate of APGA, and that the election that brought him to office was conducted in compliance with the electoral act as amended.
The tribunal also struck out the petition brought before it by the APC candidate in the 2014 governorship election in Anambra, Dr Ngige for lack of evidence.
Contrary to the claims of Ngige’s counsel that the Independent National Electoral Commission, (INEC) lacked the power to extend the date of election, the tribunal held that INEC had the power to do so.
It held that in the case of unforeseen circumstances, the important thing was that the election should be in consonance with the electoral guideline.
Reacting to the victory of Obiano against Obidigbo, the National Chairman of APGA, Chief Victor Umeh said that the judgment of the tribunal had vindicated his party and absolved it of any wrong in fielding Obiano.
“For Obidigbo, he was ignorant of the law and the electoral process to have brought this petition to the tribunal, because we never sponsored him at all. All their claims and noise that we sponsored him has fallen today because all the submissions by his counsel and ours were reviewed.
“He was trying to rely on a particular judgment to say that he is the valid candidate of the party, but he did not bring it to court, he knew what would have happened to him if he had brought it.
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