The Justice A M Liman-led Election Petition Tribunal hearing petitions arising from the re-run election held in some wards of Anaocha, Njikoka and Dunukofia Federal Constituency, yesterday dismissed the applications brought by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA) to strike out the petition filed by Ferdinand Dozie Nwankwo and the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) against them.
The petitioner had challenged INEC’s declaration of Hon Uche Ekwunife of APGA as winner of the February 15 re-run election in the constituency, leading the ACN candidate for the election, Mr Ferdinand Dozie Nwankwo, to challenge the outcome on the basis of irregularity.
But the Tribunal yesterday in its ruling which was commended by? all the counsels in the case dismissed? the applications brought by the major respondents in the petition, namely INEC, APGA and Chief Ekwunife for lack of merit.
INEC had in their motion on notice queried the competency of the petition filed by Dozie Nwankwo and ACN, stating that the petitioners were not entitled to file a reply to the respondents’ reply because it allegedly contained no new issues requiring a reply on facts.