Andy Uba, 10 others file petitions at Anambra Governorship Elections Tribunal challenging Soludo’s victory

11 political parties and their candidates have formally filed petitions at the Anambra Governorship Elections Tribunal challenging the outcome of the poll which was won by the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) candidate, Prof Charles Soludo.

The petitioners were able to beat the window of 21 days stipulated by the Electoral Act for the filing of petitions against the outcome of the Anambra state gubernatorial elections.

The political parties, between Monday and Tuesday, made the last-minute filing of their petitions as against expectations in some quarters that it would be a walkover for the Governor-elect.

Secretary of the tribunal, Barr Surajo Gusau who confirmed the development, said the candidates and political parties who have filed petitions, include; Sen Andy Uba of the All Progressives Congress (APC), who is seeking for a declaration that he won a majority of the valid votes cast in the said election.

Uba made do his threat to challenge the outcome of the poll, against the advice of his Aguata Community kinsmen.

Also, the Action Democratic Party (ADP) and its candidate, Prince Adam Ume-Ezeoke, in their petition prayed the tribunal for the nullification of the election on the grounds that the Bi-Modal Accreditation Verification System (BVAS) is not in the Electoral Act and the malfunctioning ultimately disenfranchised over 90 percent of the registered voters.

Similarly, the candidate of the Accord (A), Dr. Godwin Maduka, and his party are seeking for the nullification of the election on the ground of irregularities.

Other parties are: United Patriots, which petitioned the tribunal on the grounds of wrongful exclusion of the party name from the ballot calling for the nullification of the election and the Green Party and the Action People’s Party (APP) among others.

The three-man panel of Tribunal Judges is expected to arrive in Anambra State for commencement of sitting.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has already declared Prof Soludo winner, while also presenting him with a Certificate of Retur ns along with his running mate, Onyeka Ibezim.

Meanwhile, reacting to the petitions, Special Adviser to Gov Wille Obiano on Political Matters, Barr Ifeatu Obiokoye told journalists that APGA is not losing sleep over the petitions.

“We shall take it as it comes and we are not losing sleep over those petitions and do not lose sight of the game plan of a particular party and petitioner by sponsoring some lesser political parties to go to tribunal and later withdraw from the suits and collapse into their benefactors at the end of the day.

“Our party the All Progressives Grand Alliance won the election and we are prepared to defend our mandate at the tribunal.”

It also appeared that the political parties were stalling on filing their petitions as they waited to see the outcome of the Federal High Court in Abuja which had ruled in favour of Soludo in a suit brought against him by two plaintiffs, Messrs Adindu Valentine and Egwudike Chukwuebuka, seeking a ruling disqualifying the APGA candidate at the Anambra governorship poll.

However, the court instead dismissed the suit, even as it award cost to the tune of N2 million against the plaintiffs for filing a ‘frivolous’ suit before the court.

The court sitting in Abuja had differed ruling on the suit filed seeking to disqualify now governor-elect of Anambra State, Prof Charles Soludo, along with his deputy, Onyeka Ibezim from the recently-concluded governorship election in the state.

The suit filed before the Abuja court by Messrs Adindu Valentine and Egwudike Chukwuebuka claimed that Soludo provided false information in the affidavit (Form EC9) which he submitted to INEC before the poll, and therefore sought the APGA candidate to be disqualified.

Judgment in a suit was earlier fixed for Tuesday, November 30, has now been moved from Tuesday,

A notice to that effect was sighted in the courtroom which showed that Justice Taiwo Oladipupo Taiwo of the Federal High Court in Abuja, will not sit today (Tuesday) as earlier scheduled, hence, the 24 hours adjustment of the court verdict.

In the suit marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/711/2021 the plaintiffs claimed that Soludo indicated, in his Form EC9, Aguata 2, Anambra Constituency as the position he was contesting when, in fact, he was contesting the Anambra governorship seat.

Defendants in the suit are the Independent National Electoral Commission INEC, the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Soludo and Ibezim.

However, in the ruling, Wednesday, Justice Taiwo held that the suit was frivolous as the plaintiffs failed to show how they were misled by the information supplied by Soludo and Ibezim.

Justice Taiwo noted that Soludo and Ibezim clearly ticked the positions of governor and deputy governor in the forms they submitted to INEC and only indicated their constituencies, which did not amount to supplying false information as envisaged under the Electoral Act.

The judge said it was known to all, including the plaintiffs, that only governorship election was held in Anambra on November 6 this years.

He resolved all the issues raised for determination against the plaintiffs and declined all the reliefs sought by them.

The judge awarded N2million cost against the plaintiffs, Messrs Adindu Valentine and Egwudike Chukwuebuka, and in favour of APGA, Soludo and Ibezim.

Defendants in the suit were INEC, the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Soludo and Ibezim.