Gov Emmanuel wins at tribunal

The Governorship Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, has affirmed the victory of Governor Udom Emmanuel of PDP at the March 9, 2019 general elections. The petitioners, Mr Nsima Ekere and the APC had filed a petition challenging the result of the election that returned Emmanuel as the governor of the state […]

The Governorship Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, has affirmed the victory of Governor Udom Emmanuel of PDP at the March 9, 2019 general elections.

The petitioners, Mr Nsima Ekere and the APC had filed a petition challenging the result of the election that returned Emmanuel as the governor of the state for a second term.

The three-man panel unanimously upheld the election of Governor Emmanuel and dismissed the petition of Ekere and the APC in a 590 page judgement.

The tribunal said the petitioners failed to call witnesses in eight local government areas out of the 21 they claimed they had won, and discountenanced every documentary evidence regarding the petitioners’ complaints from Abak, Eastern Obolo, Ika, Eket, Mbo, Mkpat Enin among others.

Citing the Supreme Court case of Nweke vs INEC, the tribunal said that documentary evidence however daring cannot be thrown on the tribunal without oral evidence linking the documents to the issues in the petition.

Reacting to the victory, Governor Emmanuel dedicated it to God and the people of the state.