The Enugu State Local Government Election Petitions Tribunal on Wednesday fixed September 14, 2020, for judgment on the conduct of councillorship election in the Director General of Voice of Nigeria (VON), Mr. Osita Okechukwu’s, Eke ward, Udi Local government area.
Enugu State Independent Electoral Commission (ENSIEC) had on March 1, 2020 declared 260 councillorship candidates of the Peoples Democratic Party PDP in February 29, Local Government Election held in the state winners of the elections.
Aggrieved by the conduct of the election, the All Progressives Congress APC candidate for Eke ward, Mr Philip Ogechukwu Eze and his party challenged the election and prayed the tribunal to cancel the election in two polling units where polls where either not held or held at variance with the provisions of the law.
In the petition No. EP/016/2020 between Engr. Philip Ogechukwu Eze and All Progressives Congress (APC) Vs Engr. Amukenebe Ezeako Chinedu Lawrence, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), and two others; the petitioners prayed the court to cancel the election and direct for conduct of elections in two polling units where polls did not held.
The petitioners through their counsel, Mr Godwin Onwusi argued that the number of votes with which the electoral body declared the PDP candidate winner of the poll was far less than the number of registered voters in those polling units where polls did not take place.
But the PDP and its candidate through their counsel, Mr Jude Ezema and ENSIEC through its counsel, Mr. P.M.B Onyia, vehemently opposed the prayers of the petitioners, and argued that the election comply with the provisions of the law and urged the tribunal to dismiss the petition.
But after adopting their writing addresses on Wednesday during the resumed sitting of the tribunal, chaired by Barrister J. E Onah with Bar L. S. Okoro and I. J Okolo as members adjourned till September 14 for judgment.
Addressing journalists outside the court, counsel to the petitioners, Mr Onwusi – said, “today we adopted our writing addresses on the conduct of the Councillorship election in Eke ward.
“We complained about three polling units where the elections were conducted in variance with the provisions of the law. We complained of Ole polling unit where more ballot papers were seen in the ballot box during counting than the number of ballot papers issued to the polling unit.
“We equally complained about disenfranchisement of people who were registered to vote at Okwanda polling unit. There was disruption and election was not held there; we have 719 registered voters in that polling unit alone and election was declared. And the election they declared the number of votes with which the PDP candidate was shown to have at scored the APC candidate is far less than 917 in polling units where election did not held,” he said.
On his part, the Counsel to ENSIEC, Onyia said he would not speak to journalists on the case at this point.
