The Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly election petition tribunal sitting in Abuja has dismissed the petition filed by Mr. Imo Tom Udi of All Progressive Candidate challenging the INEC announced result of Esit Eket/Ibeno State Constituency election, which was in favour of Rt. Hon. Usoro Akpanusoh of the Peoples’ Democratic Party.
Dismissing the petition, the Chairman of the tribunal, Justice Adedayo Oyebanji, said the petition numbered, EPT/AK/AH/7/2015 was filed out of stipulated twenty-one days known to the law, stressing that, the petition also lacks merit.
In his remark, the lead counsel to the first respondent, Barr. Livinus Udofia, who confirmed the dismissal of the case, said that, the prayers of the petitioner were conflicting and ambiguous.
He said that, with the dismissal, Rt. Hon. Usoroh Akpanusoh has no pending case in the tribunal.
“The case has just been struck out by the election petition tribunal sitting in Abuja, the petitioner filed out of the stipulated 21 days, known to law.
“The prayers of the petitioner were somehow conflicting. In one of his prayers, he claimed there was no election in Esit Eket/Ibeno, in another, he posited that there was falsification of result, while in the third prayer, he said the result as announced by INEC was manufactured.” He said.
In his remark, Rt. Hon. Usoroh Akpanusoh described his victory at the tribunal as the victory of the people and pledged to continually salvage the plight of his constituent.
He extended olive branch to the petitioner, Mr. Imo Tom Udi and his supporters and urged them to accept the defeat for the betterment and growth of the people.
At press time, all effort to reach the petitioner proved abortive as all his telephone lines were switch off.
Credit: Torobong Ekpo
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