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Following the dismissal of the Petition of the All Progressives Congress, APC, and its candidate in the National Assembly election by the National Assembly Election Petition Tribunal, the party has rejected the judgement of Tribunal which affirmed the election of Senator Ike Ekweremadu representing Enugu West Senatorial Zone.
The three-man Tribunal held that the former Deputy Senate President was elected with lawful and valid votes cast during the February 23, 2019 elections.
Dome TV Nigeria had reported that the National Assembly/State Houses of Assembly Elections Petition Tribunal sitting in Enugu, on Monday dismissed the petition brought before it by the candidate of the All Progressive Congress in 2019 February 23 election in Enugu West Senatorial District, Barr. Juliet Ibekaku who is challenging the validity of the election of former Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu of the Peoples Democratic Party.
Delivering its judgement, the Tribunal, led by Hon. Justice H.H Kerang held that there was an inconsisteny in the pleadings of the petitioners.
Reacting to the judgment, the chairman of the All Progressive Congress in Enugu State, Ben Nwoye, said the ruling of the Tribunal was disappointing and unacceptable.
Nwoye who spoke to Dome TV Nigeria said “we are very disappointed by the Tribunal’s decision; to say the least, the APC and its candidate are highly disappointed. We had a good case to prove all the allegations but it has taken a different turn.
“But as democrats, the lawyers will study the content of the judgement and we take it from there; but I want to assure you that this will not be the end.
“We are shocked that despite all the evidence presented, and all the grounds, we have this kind of outcome.”
Speaking further Nwoye stated that “It appears to be a preconceived judgement. On Saturday, we had the same thing; if you follow what the learned jurists considered to be proof of facts, it appears to have some preconceived rulings, that this is what they want to do, and they have gone on to follow it. What we have it what is called a template judgement, there has not been any deviation; the next one coming up, the template judgment will also be delivered, so we are highly disappointed.”
“I commend our legal team, the effort of our candidates, because what it happening does not use to happen before. In Enugu State, once you lose election, it is just over, but this time around our party men and women are putting up a good fight; they took electoral fraud to court, that’s why I am in shock.
“People were calling election results even before collation; in Ogun State, APC had one of its election annulled before of premature announcement of results, but in Enugu State here where the election was also prematurely announced, the court has looked the other way, there was wilful blindness on the part of the judiciary.
“But it does not encourage democracy, it does not encourage the assertion that democracy is the last hope of the common man,” Nwoye added.
Meanwhile, the Lead Counsel to the petitioner, Patrick Luke said the legal team already had the instructions of the petitioner to appeal the judgement.
“We will pursue this to a logical conclusion; we still have the constitutional right to appeal further.
“I can confirm to you that the petitioners, we have their instructions to appeal this judgement” adding that the judgement
