The All Progressives Congress (APC), in Abia State, has berated the State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal, over its purported dismissal of the suit filed by the party’s gubernatorial candidate in the last election, Dr. Uche Ogah.
The party decried the hastily dismissal of the petition by the tribunal members, pointing out that the tribunal did not do the needful by failing to hear the APC matters on merits.
Hon. Donatus Nwankpa, the chairman of the APC in the state, who made the party’s position known at a press conference in Umuahia, the state capital on Wednesday, insisted that the last general elections were totally manipulated in favour of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
He added that the state leadership of APC had set up a three-man committee to look into the tribunal verdict, saying that once the committee submitted its report, the party would take necessary step to recover its stolen mandate.
His words, “We are not talking about gubernatorial petition alone. The party has viewed with dismay, concern and discomfort the manner the tribunal in Abia state is handling cases affecting APC candidates, in all manners of election. And for that effect, a three-man committee is being set up and that three-man committee by tomorrow will be giving the party leadership a report.
“And as soon as the committee submits the report, the party will take the necessary steps and will have also told our legal team and the Legal Adviser to arrange for the appellate, so that we can recover and correct whatever mistake that are reason as a result of this.
“We are studying the judgment. Also, election is not only gubernatorial candidate alone, others candidates contested election. And every candidate belongs to the party. We are studying the outcome of the judicial pronouncement. We are studying them legally, and we are taking steps to make sure we are not cheated. To also make sure, there is no miscarriage of justice.
“As soon as the team of lawyers gives us their report, we are going to consider our position. And the position of the party is that, we must seek for Justice, and justice will must seek. We also have authority to proof that some of the excuses given by the tribunal is not a enough to throw away cases. Tribunal cases are fundamental matters that the supreme court said it should be decided on merits”.
DAILY POST had reported that the three-man panel of the Governorship Election Petitions Tribunal sitting in Umuahia, the Abia state capital, had thrown out the petition brought before it by Dr. Uche Ogah and the All Progressives Congress(APC) against Governor Okezie Ikpeazu and four other respondents.
Justice Ogumoye held that the petitioners were deemed to have abandoned their petition, having failed to activate the pre-trial hearing process within the time stipulated by the Electoral Act.
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