All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) candidate in the Abia State House of Assembly election, Mr Sydney Onyemere, on Monday, went berserk after the tribunal dismissed his petition for incompetence.
Onyemere, who was visibly enraged by the judgement of the three-member tribunal, accused the judges of compromise.
He had filed a petition challenging the declaration of Chief Chinedum Orji, the eldest son of former Governor Theodore Orji of Abia State, as the winner in the election.
The petitioner had urged the tribunal to annul Orji’s election and declare him the rightful winner.
Onyemere, a lawyer, said that Orji’s election was done without substantial compliance with the Electoral Act.
Delivering judgement, Justice Adeniyi Onigbanjo, the Chairman, Panel 1 in the National and State Assembly Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Umuahia, struck out the petition on grounds of incompetence and upheld Orji’s election.
Onigbanjo said that the petitioner had urged the tribunal to declare him winner of the election in Umuahia Urban Constituency, instead of Umuahia Central State Constituency.
According to him, Umuahia Urban Constituency does not exist in the list of constituency delimitation by the Independent National Electoral Commission for Abia.
He said that the petitioner’s application to amend the mistakes in his petition was filed out of time.
In an emotional outburst while walking out of the courtroom, Onyemere said to the judges, “you adjourned for 10 minutes to confirm alert and now that you have confirmed it, you have given the judgement you wanted.’’
The petitioner’s agitation caused a mild uproar within the premises, attracting the attention of scores of security operatives on duty.
His supporters made frantic efforts to calm him down and ensure that he did not foment trouble, while he was led into a waiting vehicle that took him out of the premises.
Counsel to the respondent, Mr Mike Onyeka, described the petitioner’s outburst as “unfortunate,’’ saying that his petition was “incurably incompetent”.
Onyeka said that the tribunal did not need to take bribe before it could dismiss the petition which, according to him, was fraught with mistakes that were fundamental to the petition.
The judge said that Onyemere had an option to seek redress at the Court of Appeal, if he was not satisfied with the judgement.
The tribunal had adjourned for 10 minutes after delivering judgements in three petitions.
In the judgements, the tribunal upheld the elections of Messrs Taribo Paul and Emeka Alozie both of PDP for Ukwa East and Osisioma Local Government Areas.
The tribunal, however, ordered a re-run in Umuakwu and Umuchieze 3 Wards in Umunneochi Local Government Area, following the petition filed by PDP’s candidate, Chima Igbeke, against the election of Ikedi Ezekwesiri of APGA.
