Sensor Newspaper

The National and State Houses Of Assembly Election Petition Tribunals sitting in Uyo yesterday has ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to release ballot boxes and ballot papers used for the April general elections to Plaintiffs of some of the petitioners.

This was sequel to the prayers in a petition filed by Mr. Idongesit Godwin Udokpo of Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) against Mr. Kenneth Edet Archibong of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for Itu/Ibiono Federal Constituency and the petition filed by Mr. Christopher Akpan Enoh against Barr. Dan Abia of the Peoples Democratic Party in Eket Federal Constituency.
The Petitioners had prayed the Tribunal to grant them access to election materials for the purposes of putting them through forensic study.
In his ruling on the prayers, the Chairman of the Tribunal, Justice Abdullahi Yusuf who said the tribunal is committed to doing justice to all parties appearing before it ordered INEC to grant the Petitioners unrestrained access to electoral materials to examine if there were irregularities in the conduct of last month's National Assembly elections.
Also ruling on a petition filed by Mr. Bassey Akpan Willie of the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) against the election of Mr. Godwin Okon Charlie of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Justice Yusuf said that no party appearing before the tribunal will be denied justice on the basic of “technicalities”. He warned counsels not to engage on unnecessary technicalities.
The learned justice added that the tribunal disassociates itself from technicalities and asks all the parties to always focus their cases on motion on notice.
Counsel to the respondent had sought the tribunal to strike out a case filed against it on the premise that it was filed before Governorship and legislative tribunal. This, the counsel to the respondent argued was contrary to section 285 of the constitution which make provision for the establishment of National and State Assembly Election Tribunal.
In his ruling Justice Abdullahi Yusuf dismissed the respondents' prayers saying that the case was filed in appropriate tribunal and warned against using unnecessary technicalities before the tribunal.
Speaking to newsmen after the ruling, the petitioner Mr. Bassey Akpan Willie, expressed confidence on the ability of the tribunal to do justice to all petitions brought before it. He said he was satisfied with the way the tribunal has conducted itself.

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