The National and State Houses of Assembly Elections Petitions Tribunal in Awka, Anambra State will rule on the petition challenging the election of Senator Stella Oduah (PDP-Anambra North) on July 24.
Dubem Obaze and his party, the All Progressives Grand Alliance, had challenged the victory of Oduah on grounds of alleged electoral fraud in the March 28 polls.
When the matter was called up on Tuesday, Counsel to the petitioner, Chike Onyemenam (SAN), filed an application seeking to front load some voters’ registers used for the poll.
According to Onyemenam, the 15 bags of voters’ registers were those used in Onitsha North, Onitsha South and Ogbaru Local Area of the state during the election.
He said although certification fee was paid to the Independent National Electoral Commission nine days before filing the petition to produce the documents, the electoral commission only released them after 70 days.
While pleading with the tribunal to accept the documents as duly filed, Onyemenam argued that granting the application would be to the advantage of the respondents and the tribunal.
However, the respondents Counsel, Dr. Onyechi Ikpeazu (SAN) for Oduah, Osita Nnadi (SAN) for INEC and Chuma Oguejifor for the Peoples Democratic Party, objected to the motion, saying that time had elapsed.
The respondents argued that since it was an election petition, the documents could not be front-loaded after 21 days.
“The petitioner should rather ask the tribunal for extension of time if he must tender the documents,” Nnadi argued.
Oguejiofor contended that based on Section 285 (6) of the Electoral Act, 2010, the tribunal had no jurisdiction to entertain the application.
After hearing all argument on the motion, the tribunal, headed by Justice Hezekiah Solanke, in its wisdom decided to adjourn the matter for ruling on whether or not to accept documents.
NAN.
