Tribunal Upholds Ibezi’s Victory As Obinna Chidoka Loses – TheNigerialawyer

The National Assembly Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Awka
Anambra state capital yesterday upheld the election of Hon. Ifeanyi
Ibezi of Idemili North/ South Federal Constituency.

The election of Hon. Ibezi on the platform of All Progressives
Grand Alliance (APGA) was challenged by Hon. Obinna Chidoka of
People Democratic Party PDP who sought for the nullification of the
election on the ground of multiple voting and none compliance to
electoral laws.

Chidoka also contested that Independent Electoral Commission
(INEC) ought not to have conducted the supplementary election
having conducted the election in the areas and he won.

Delivering judgement read by two judges of the panel of three,
namely: Justice R. Irele Ifijeh and His Lordship O.O. Odubanjo, the
tribunal held that the petitioner was unable to establish that
results he presented before the tribunal was generated during the
election.

The tribunal also held that the petitioner could not identify
the source of the results.

The tribunal also held that INEC has the power to conduct a
supplementary election, where the election was inconclusive.

It held that since the petitioner could not establish where he
got the results presented before it is not the duty of the tribunal
to go into voyage of discovery to find out the source of the
results.

The tribunal said that the petitioner has failed woefully to
establish his case beyond reasonable doubt for it to nullify the
election it has had no option than to dismiss the petition.

Reacting, Hon. Ibezi said that the excitement from the people of
Idemili North and South shows how happy they are that he has
retained the mandate freely given to him by the people of the
federal constituency.

He said that the court having spoken, what is left for him is to
go back to work from where he stopped.

According to him already he has been working in his constituency
and has aided the employment of many people from his constituency
in federal civil service and that at home he engaged 25 people in
his two constituency offices in Idemili North and Idemili
South.

Hon. Ibezi said that before now he has done a lot of work in his
constituency.

On his words to his opponent, Ibezi said: “my opponent has done
his bit and I ask him to maintain the peace and understand the
feeling of Idemili people and abide by that”.

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