September 26, (THEWILL) – The Cross River Governorship Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Calabar has upheld the election of Bassey Otu as duly elected Governor of the state.
A three-member panel of Justices, led by Justice Joy Oghogho Okeaya-Inneh, dismissed the petition filed by the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Senator Sandy Onor.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), on March 20, declared Otu of the APC as the winner of the March 18 gubernatorial election in Cross River after he secured 258,619 votes to defeat his closest challenger, Professor Sandy Onor of the PDP, who garnered 179,636 votes.
Dissatisfied with the outcome of the poll, Onor and the PDP had, in a joint petition, urged the tribunal to disqualify Otu as the winner of the election.
The petition marked EPT/CR/GOV/02/2023) has INEC, Otu, his Deputy, Peter Odey, and the APC as the 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th respondents, respectively.
The Petitioners, amongst others, contended that Governor Otu was, at the time of the election, not qualified to contest the election as he purportedly forged his certificate and had not been educated to School Certificate level.
“That the 3rd Respondent (Peter Odey) was, at the time of the election, not qualified to contest the election as he was still a member of the 2nd Petitioner (PDP), having not properly resigned from his Ward.
“That the 3rd Respondent, being a dual citizen, has voluntarily obtained the citizenship of Great Britain, thereby swearing an oath of allegiance to another Country and not qualified to participate in the election.
“That the 2nd Respondent was not properly nominated by his party after not being properly screened thereto. Having not been properly sponsored, his votes amount to being wasted.”
In ruling on Tuesday, the tribunal held that Governor Otu, along with his Deputy, met the qualifications to run for election and was hence rightfully elected both in the primaries of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the March 18 gubernatorial election in Cross River.
Justice Okeaya-Inneh held that the issues of sponsorship, nomination and issues surrounding party membership are exclusive affairs of the party, as well as pre-election matters of which the petitioners have no locus standi.
