Abia: Tribunal reserves judgment in suit between APC, PDP

In a case brought by All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate Hon. Otuwe Oji Kalu against the INEC’s certification of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate Hon. Mandela Obasi as the lawmaker-elect for Ohafia North Constituency in the state, the Abia State Election Petition Tribunal in Umuahia, the state capital, has reserved its judgment.

According to INEC, Obasi received the most votes in the election held on March 19, 2023, and as a result, he was proclaimed the winner, as previously reported by Infostride News.

Kalu finished in second place, behind the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) candidate, Okocha Uchenna Onuoha.

The APC candidate, however, was not happy with the results and filed a petition with the election tribunal.

One of Kalu’s claims in the tribunal was that he should be recognized as the election’s official victor.

He further stated that INEC ad hoc workers and agents for the opposing party worked together to rig the election in the PDP’s favor.

Both parties’ final written addresses were accepted by the Umuahia, Abia, Election Petition Tribunal earlier.

Petitioner’s attorney, Mr. Anaga Kalu Anaga, Esq., argued before the tribunal’s three-member panel that the plaintiff’s claims of altercation and mutilations of the results of the conducted poll in abeyance with disgruntled electoral officers of the national electoral commission to subvert the will of the people did not warrant a finding in favor of the APC.

In addition, the PDP candidate’s lead attorney, Mr Chiedozie Ogunji, Esq, addressed the state election petition tribunal and argued that the petitioner had failed to prove that the results of the recently held election were tampered with.

He asked the judge to toss out the APC candidate’s petition as baseless.

The tribunal has stated that the parties will be informed of the date judgment will be rendered in the post-election litigation.