The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Cross River State and its candidate in the 2023 Governorship Election, Professor Sandy Onor, have moved to contest the result of the election in the state.
This follows the application placed by the party in petition No: EPT/CR/GOV/03M/2023 and dated April 4, 2023 at the Cross River State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal.
The tribunal is headed by Justice J.O Okeya-Inneh and two others, including Justice M.L. Omar, member I, and Justice O.O. Olatawura, member II, with A.D Bambur as Tribunal secretary.
In the Exparte Motion filed on April 4, 2023, the petitioners prayed for seven orders, including “an order granting leave to the Applicants to bring this Application outside or before the pre-hearing session.”
Others are “An order granting leave to the Applicants to argue this Application outside or before the pre-hearing session.”
“An order directing the 1st Respondent in this Application, that is, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to allow the parties herein to jointly inspect, all the electoral materials used in the conduct of the election for the office of the Governor of Cross River State held on the 18 day of March, 2023; to wit, voters’ register, ballot papers, polling units result sheets, wards collation results sheets, Local government collation results sheets and declaration result sheets.
“An order granting the parties herein permission to do electronic scanning and/or make photocopies of ‘voters’ register, ballot papers, polling units result sheets, ward collation results sheets, local government collation results sheets and declaration of results sheets used in the conduct of the election for the office of the Governor of Cross River State held on the 18th day of March, 2023.
”An order granting leave for the parties herein to carry out digital forensic inspection of BVAS machines used in the election for the office of the Governor of Cross River State held on the 18th day of March, 2023.
“An order restraining the 1st Respondent from tampering with the information embedded in the machines used in the Election for the office of the Governor of Cross River State held on the 18th day of March, 2023” and “for such order or further orders as this Honourable Tribunal may deem fit to make in the circumstances of this case”.
However in relief 4, the Tribunal said, “The parties herein are given permission to do electronic scanning and/or make photocopies of Voters’ Register, polling units result sheets, ward collation results sheets, local government collation results sheets and declaration of result sheets used in the conduct of the Election for the office of the Governor of Cross River State held on the 18th day of March, 2023″.
The Court refused prayer (6), saying, “there are no facts placed before the Tribunal in the affidavit in support of the application upon which the order sought can be predicated.”
The petition has the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Sen. Prince Bassey Otu, Hon. Peter Agbe Odey and All Progressives Congress (APC) as 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th respondents respectively.
Professor Teddy Charles Adias, the collation /returning officer for the governorship election had declared Senator Bassey Otu of the All Progressives Congress winner of the election.
He said Prince Otu polled 258, 619 votes to defeat his closest rival Professor Sandy Onor of the PDP who polled 179, 636 votes, a result which is now a subject of dispute.
THEWILL Correspondent, Aniekan Bassey has over six years experience that spans across several fields in print journalism including development communication, sexual reproductive and health rights issues, crime, climate change, social justice, business and human interest stories.
