Enugu Division of the Court of Appeal on Friday reserved judgment in a case filed by Chief Chris Ubah of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), challenging the declaration of Chief Ifeanyi Ubah of the Young Progressives Party (YPP) as the winner of the Feb. 23 Senatorial election for Anambra South.
The National and State House of Assembly Elections Petitions Tribunal in Awka had in its judgment on Sept. 9, 2019 affirmed Ifeanyi of the YPP as dully elected.
However, the candidate of the PDP through his counsel, Chief Akiolu Jime, SAN, approached the appellate court on grounds of alleged miscarriage of justice by the tribunal.
Jime, while adopting his brief, said that the tribunal failed to consider all the exhibits tendered before it while arriving at its judgment.
The counsel said that the failure of the tribunal to appreciate the case made by the appellant bordering on improper accreditation needed to be addressed.
He said that the three major documents upon which the election result was anchored such as the card reader, voters register and Form EC8A1 had different figures.
Jime, therefore, urged the panel to allow the appeal and declare his client winner as the YPP candidate was wrongfully returned.
However, counsel to the respondent, Chief D. C. Nwigwe, while adopting his written addresses, urged the court to discountenance the submissions of the appellant.
Nwige urged the panel to dismiss the appeal and uphold the decision of the tribunal delivered on Sept. 9, 2019.
The Chairman of the panel, Justice I. M. Saluwa, after listening to the counsel, reserved judgment in the matter to a date to be communicated to all the parties.
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