By CrossRiverWatch admin
The National and State Assemblies Elections Petition Tribunal sitting in Calabar yesterday dismissed three motions filed by the Respondents in the Petitions filed by candidates of All Progressives Congress, APC and Labor Party respectively against the return of the PDP candidates in the National Assembly elections held on 28th March 2015 and State Assembly elections in 11th April 2015 respectively.
In the first ruling over an objection filed by Senator John Owan Eno, against the petition filed by the Labor Party Cross River Central Senatorial District candidate, Dr. Sandy Onor, on the ground of incompetence because the petition was allegedly not signed by the Counsel who prepared it; the Tribunal ruled that the petition was competent and was duly signed.
The tribunal overruled two other grounds of objection against the hearing and determination of the petition raised by the 1st Respondent, Senator John Owan. The tribunal further ruled that the challenge to the qualification of Senator John Owan to contest the election raised by Dr. Onoh in his petition is a post election matter and not a pre election matter as contended by Counsel to Senator Owan Eno.
In the second ruling the Tribunal overruled the objection filed by the PDP Member of the House of Representatives for Etung/Obubra Federal Constituency, Hon. Mike Etaba, that the Labor Party candidate’s petition was incompetent because there was no party known as Labor Party of Nigeria which the petitioners contested election under its platform.
The tribunal ruled that the petitioners’ description of Labor Party as Labor Party of Nigeria is a misnomer and technicality that cannot defeat the petition.
In a third ruling, the Tribunal dismissed the objection filed by Mrs. Regina Leonard Anyogo, the PDP member representing Yala 1 State Constituency in the Cross River State House of Assembly, whose election is challenged by Mrs. Angela Ogeyi Odey of the APC.
With the dismissal of these objections the coast is now cleared for the hearing and determination of the petitions.