C’River Guber: Onor kicks off proof of petition against Otu’s election
From Aniekan Aniekan, Calabar
The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) candidate in the 2023 gubernatorial elections in Cross River State Professor Sandy Onor has kicked off proof of his petition against the election of the state governor, Bassey Otu.
Onor who was represented by his counsel Dr. Jonah Yusuf SAN commenced the proof of his case by presenting several documents to establish his case.
The documents comprised largely certified true copied from INEC’s EC8 series, certified true copies of Form EC9 as well as a federal high Court judgment with suit number FHC/ABJ/CS/976/2021 on the eligibility of the second and third respondents.
Dr. Yusuf told the court that he is withdrawing Volumes two and three of his petition and narrowing his petition down to the qualification of the second and third respondents who are Senator Bassey Otu and his deputy, Peter Odey.
Onor through his counsel also called his first witness John Abuo, the PDP ward Secretary for Mbube West Ward 1 in Ogoja Local government area.
The witness confirmed his statement on oath and the court also admitted his membership card as well as the ward register of Mbube West Ward I as exhibits.
He however told the court that there was a typographical error on the statement where Obubra was used in place of Ogoja.
Under Cross examination, he told the court that he received reports from the 196 polling units in Ogoja from his party agents and that INEC did not upload results from the polling units into it’s IREV portal.
Counsel to INEC K. Balogun objected to the admissibility of the documents and said the reasons will be stated in its final address to the tribunal.
Similarly, counsel to Senator Otu and Peter Odey Professor Mike Ozekhome also opposed the admissibility of the documents.
He also stated that the reasons will be stated in his final address to the court.
Responding the chairman of the tribunal Justice Oken Inneh ruled that the case of the is strictly on the point of law which is the qualification of the second and third respondents.
She also ruled that despite the objections by the respondents, the documents tendered by Onor has been admitted by the court and parties are to address it in their final written addresses.
She insisted that the tribunal will not entertain any form of delay.
