19th September, 2019
The Governorship Election Petition Tribunal in Uyo on Thursday affirmed the victory of Gov. Udom Emmanuel of the Peoples Democratic Party in the March 9, general elections.
Mr Nsima Ekere of the All Progressives Congress (APC) filed a petition challenging the result of the March 9 election in which INEC declared the re-election of Gov. Emmanuel as the Governor of Akwa Ibom.
Delivering judgment, the three-member tribunal headed by Justice A.M Yakuba, dismissed the case filed by Ekere and and the APC for lack of merit.
Justice Yakubu held that the petitioners failed to call witnesses in eight local government areas out of the 21 they claimed to have won.
Consequently, the tribunal discountenanced every documentary evidence brought before it and accordingly declared Emmamuel as the duly elected governor of Akwa Ibom.
Ekere and the APC approached the tribunal, after several amendments on grounds that the election was invalid by reason of non-compliance with the provisions of the Electoral Act,
They also argued that Gov. Emmanuel was not duly elected by majority of lawful votes cast at the election.
They also prayed the tribunal to declare that the election was void and invalid due to non-compliance with the provisions of the Electoral Act.
Governor Udom promptly reacted to the judgment:
“Today, the overwhelming victory that the good people of Akwa Ibom State gave me at the March 9, 2019 gubernatorial election was again reaffirmed by the Election Petition Tribunal.
“The time has come for us to come together and move our dear State forward”.