CITIZENS COMPASS – AS Nigerians look forward to May 29, 2023, anxiety is currently ongoing in 25 states as some governors as well as324 individuals have kicked agsuns the results of the 2023 election results as declared by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Recall that the presidential and National Assembly elections took place on February 25 while that of governorship and state of assembly elections were on March 18, 2023 across the country..
So far, different political parties in various states have kicked against the outcome of the elections blaming INEC for declaring some of the candidates as winners.
It was learnt that losers, in the February 25 and March 18 elections, have approached the respective Election Tribunals set up in their states, with about 327 petitions against the electoral umpire, and the declared winners.
Among the losers are at least three governors: Ben Ayade (Cross River State), Abubakar Bagudu (Kebbi) and Simon Lalong (Plateau) who contested the senatorial election.
Sunday Vanguard learned that the petitions came in as of Wednesday, and more were likely to come before the expiration of the deadline for the submission of petitions.
Petitions filed in Abia State (35) top the list, followed by Anambra (31), Lagos (30), Delta (25), Kano (23), Benue (17) and Plateau (16) while the least (three) are from Yobe.
There had been no petitions filed in Oyo and Ogun as of the time of this report.
Election losers under the Electoral Act 2022 have 21 days from the date of declaration of results to challenge the outcome.
The situation in affected states is causing anxiety as the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has been accused of tardiness in the conduct of the 2023 general elections, and the implication is that, should the lapses be proven at the different Election Petition Tribunals across the country, many of the election results may be overturned.
The presidential election result is already being challenged at the Appeal Court, which is the tribunal for the poll, by the candidates of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Labour Party (LP), Alhaji Atiku Abubakar and Mr Peter Obi respectively.
INEC had declared Asiwaju Ahmed Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as the winner.
The trial of the National Assembly and state assembly elections’ petitions begins at the tribunal and ends at the Appeal Court while the governorship begins at the tribunal but stretches up to the Supreme Court.
In Delta State, 25 candidates, who participated in the polls, including governorship candidates of the APC, Social Democratic Party (SDP) and LP, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege, Chief Kenneth Gbagi and Ken Pela respectively, petitioned the Governorship Election Petitions Tribunal in the state, querying the conduct and outcome of the election.
The tribunal has already granted leave to Gbagi and Pela leave to inspect the electoral materials that INEC used in the conduct of the election.
The Young Progressive Party, YPP, governorship candidate, Europe-based Comrade Sunny Ofehe, however, chose not to approach the tribunal, insisting that he would deploy international instruments to challenge the “hoax”.
Omo-Agege, in his petition, said INEC breached the Electoral Act 2022 in the collation of the results of the governorship poll across Delta.
He expressed dissatisfaction with the correctness of the results that INEC declared in Aniocha North, Aniocha South, Ika North East, Ika South, Oshimili North, Oshimili South, Ukwuani, Ndokwa East and Ndokwa West local government areas in Delta North.
In Delta South, Omo-Agege frowned at the results from Bomadi (only Wards 07, 08, and 09, that is, Akugbene1, Akugbene 2, and Akugbene 3), Burutu, Patani, Warri North, Warri South West, Warri South, and Isoko North local government areas.
In Delta State, 25 candidates, who participated in the polls, including governorship candidates of the APC, Social Democratic Party (SDP) and LP, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege, Chief Kenneth Gbagi and Ken Pela respectively, petitioned the Governorship Election Petitions Tribunal in the state, querying the conduct and outcome of the election
The tribunal has already granted leave to Gbagi and Pela leave to inspect the electoral materials that INEC used in the conduct of the election.
The Young Progressive Party, YPP, governorship candidate, Europe-based Comrade Sunny Ofehe, however, chose not to approach the tribunal, insisting that he would deploy international instruments to challenge the “hoax”.
Omo-Agege, in his petition, said INEC breached the Electoral Act 2022 in the collation of the results of the governorship poll across Delta.
He expressed dissatisfaction with the correctness of the results that INEC declared in Aniocha North, Aniocha South, Ika North East, Ika South Oshimili North, Oshimili South, Ukwuani, Ndokwa East and Ndokwa West local government areas in Delta North.
In Delta South, Omo-Agege frowned at the results from Bomadi (only Wards 07, 08, and 09, that is, Akugbene1, Akugbene 2, and Akugbene 3), Burutu, Patani, Warri North, Warri South West, Warri South, and Isoko North local government areas.
In Delta Central, he disputed the results from Ethiope East, Okpe Ughelli South (only Wards 04, 05, 07, and 08), and Sapele (only Wards 02, 03, 05, 08, and 10).
Minority Leader of the House of Representatives and PDP House of Representatives candidate for Aniocha/Oshimili Federal Constituency, Hon Ndudu Elumelu; Hon Evelyn Oboro, PDP House of Representatives candidate for Okpe/Sapele/Uvwie Federal Constituency; Hon Solomon Ahwinawhi, PDP House Representatives candidate in Ughelli/Udu Federal Constituency, have gone to the tribunal too.
At the senatorial level, Senator Peter Nwaoboshi of the APC, Delta North has petitioned INEC over the declaration of Hon Ned Nwoko as the winner of the election; Senator Ighoyota Amori, PDP, Delta Central, has also kicked against INEC’s announcement of Chief Ede Dafinone of APC as the winner.
Chief Michael Diden, PDP, Delta South, and his All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA, counterpart, Hon George Timinimi, who lost to APC’s Hon Thomas Joel –Onowakpor, have also gone to the tribunal to upturn his victory.
At the House of Assembly level, all those who lost have dragged their opponents to the tribunal to challenge the results.
There are three panels set up in Delta State: the National Assembly Petitions Tribunal, Governorship Election Petition Tribunal, and State House of Assembly Petition Tribunal to adjudicate over the rocky petitions.
25 petitions against Gbajabiamila, others
Aggrieved political parties have so far filed 30 petitions before the Lagos State National and State House of Assembly Election Petition Tribunal.
The petitions were displayed on the wall of the Rosaline Omotosho Court House Ikeja, venue of the tribunal sitting.
In one of the petitions, the candidates of the Labour Party for the House of Representatives in about seven constituencies in Lagos are challenging INEC, APC, and the declared winner of each constituency.
The candidates are challenging the winners declared in Oshodi Isolo, Kosofe, Lagos Mainland, Surulere, Shomolu, Mushin and Ikorodu federal constituencies
In their petitions filed by their counsel, Wakeel Olawale-Liady, the petitioners are challenging INEC for non-compliance with the provision of the Electoral Act 2022.
They alleged that the electoral body unlawfully excluded them from the elections held on February 25.
Specifically, in the petition filed by Adeola Adebanjo and LP against the Speaker, House of Representatives, Femi Gbajaabiamila, the petitioner alleged that INEC failed to comply with the provisions of the law.
For Ikeja Federal Constituency, Mutiu Okunola and his party (LP) are challenging the declaration of James Faleke as the winner of the election because the election was invalid for non-compliance with the provision of the Act.
Okunola prayed the tribunal for a declaration that the election conducted by INEC in respect of the constituency seat was marred by substantial irregularities and non-compliance with the provision of the Electoral Act and guidelines.
CROSS RIVER: Ayade, Onors, others file 13 petitions
In Cross River State, the Secretary of the three-man Election Petition Tribunal sitting over the February 25 National Assembly elections in the state, A.D Bambur, acknowledged that they had received 13 petitions from the different political parties.
Of the 13 petitions, three candidates challenged those INEC declared as winners in the three senatorial districts of the state, just as 10 others queried the conduct of the House of Representatives poll.
Bambur said the tribunal had commenced sitting, and already granted leave to parties to inspect materials used for the elections, following their respective applications. He added that the parties were currently serving summons and petitions to each other.
A passing look at the cases shows that Governor Ben Ayade, who lost his bid to return to the Senate to the incumbent senator, Jarigbe Agom Jarigbe, of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, filed petition number EPT/CRS/Sen/2/2023 against Jarigbe.
Ayade vied for the Cross River Northern Senatorial District seat on the platform of APC.
The PDP candidate in Cross River Central, Hon Bassey Eko Ewa, filed a petition listed as EPT/CRS/SEN/1/2023 against Rt. Hon Eteng Williams of the APC, who is the Speaker of the Cross River State House of Assembly.
Cross River Southern Senatorial District petition is from Rt. Hon. Daniel Asuquo of the Labour Party, and others versus Mr. Asuquo Ekpenyong Jnr of the APC in suit number EPT/CRS/SEN/03/2023.
Former House of Representatives member, Hon. Atta Ochinke, also filed a petition against APC’s Hon Victor Abang in Ikom/Boki Federal Constituency.
The PDP governorship candidate, defeated in the March 18 governorship poll, Senator Sandy Onor, has also vowed to challenge the process that made INEC to declare Sen. Bassey Otu as the winner.
Onor alleged that the exercise was characterized by irregularities, including over-voting, and vote-buying amongst others.
Hon. Thomas Aruku of the APC, who contested the Ogoja State Constituency seat, is also going to the tribunal to challenge the victory of Hon Riya Ayim of the PDP.
Sunday Vanguard learned that there was still time for the submission of more petitions, as many of those who participated in the House of Assembly polls were putting finishing touch to their petitions before submission.
AKWA IBOM: Eyiboh, others file 15 petitions
The 2023 National Assembly and Governorship Election Tribunal in Akwa Ibom State said it had received 15 petitions in respect of the elections from five political parties.
Secretary of the tribunal, Ibrahim Usman, said candidates of the APC, YPP, New Nigerian People’s Party (NNPP), LP and the Allied People’s Movement (APM) brought the petitions
He disclosed that of the 15 petitions, 11 were for the House of Representatives, while four pertain to the Senate. This implies that the tribunal has not yet received any petition from losers in the governorship and House of Assembly polls as of March 29.
However, reliable party sources told Sunday Vanguard that the governorship candidates were still preparing to file their petitions before the 21 days lapses.
APC candidate, Martins Udoinyang, was among those who filed petitions challenging the declaration of PDP’s Dr. Ekong Sampson as senator-elect for Ibom South (Eket). Emaeyak
APC candidate, Martins Udoinyang, was among those who filed petitions challenging the declaration of PDP’s Dr. Ekong Sampson as senator-elect for Ibom South (Eket). Emaeyak Ukpong of the APC and the LP candidate, who contested for the Akwa Ibom North-East (Uyo) Senatorial District seat have also headed to the tribunal.
From the body language of PDP’s Emmanuel Enoidem, a key contender for Akwa Ibom North-West (Ikot Ekpene) Senatorial District, he seemed to have conceded defeat to Senator Godswill Akpabio.
Of the 11 House of Representatives petitions received by the tribunal, we gathered that the majority are from the APC. Hon. Eseme Eyiboh of the APC, who lost the Eket Federal Constituency seat (comprising Eket, Esit Eket, Ibeno, and Onna LGAs) to Okpolupm Etteh of the PDP, was, reportedly, the first aggrieved candidate to file a petition at the tribunal.
APC candidates in Oron, Etinan, Ikot Abasi, Ukanafun/OrukAnam, and Itu/ Ibiono Ibom federal constituencies have filed petitions at the tribunal.
– Vanguard
