The Akwa Ibom State Governor, Udom Emmanuel, has urged the Appeal Court in Calabar sitting over state governorship election petition appeals to dismiss the case against him for alleged inconsistencies inherent in the appeal filed by Nsima Ekere of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
The appeal was heard and judgment reserved yesterday, counsel to Gov. Ubom Emmanuel, (first respondent), Mr. Onyekachi Ikpeazu (SAN), assisted by Chief Assam Assam SAN, Solomon Umoh (SAN) and others, argued that the appeal against the governor was fraught with inconsistencies and should be dismissed.
According to the governor’s counsel : “The appellant claimed there was no election in one hand, in the other hand, they said they won the election.”
The Appeal is from the APC governorship candidate, Mr. Nsima Ekere, against Governor Emmanuel, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
In the second appeal panel, judgment was also reserved in the case of Senator Godswill Akpabio of APC against Senator Chris Ekpenyong of PDP for Akwa Ibom Northwest Senatorial District and seven others.
For the Akwa Ibom governorship election matter, counsel to Nsima Ekere, the appellant, J. S. Okwepa, said their appeal was based on seven grounds and adopted their addresses and argument, urging the appeal court to “nullify the purported election” because the “trial tribunal engaged in technical areas rather than engaging in substance and merit of the matter.”
He also argued that the trial tribunal erred on grounds that some witnesses were called by subpoena, who produced attendant documents showing noncompliance to the electoral law but at judgment the tribunal threw away the matter.
Counsels to PDP, Mr. Tayo Oyetibo, and that of INEC, Mr. Sylvester Ogwemoh, also urged the appeal court to dismiss the appeal, saying the burden of proof was on the appellants.