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The Anambra Governorship Election Petition Tribunal which was set up to hear the grievienaces from the November 6th guber elections in Anambra State yesterday began sittings in Ilorin the Kwara State capital.
The Eastern Updates gathered that the tribunal is chaired by Justice Balikisu Mohammed, while Justices Edem Akpan and H. O. Oyanjimi are members.
Following its formal inauguration at the Kwara Sharia Court of Appeal complex, the tribunal commenced the pre-hearing process in respect of the 13 petitions against the victory of PDP’s Charles Soludo, one of which was later withdrawn.
Read Also: Anambra Election Tribunal Relocates To Kwara
The Eastern Updates recalls that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had declared Soludo, a former governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) as the winner of the Nov. 6 and 9, 2021, gubernatorial election in Anambra.
One of the remaining 12 cases is a petition filed by the candidate of the All Progressives Congress at the poll, Sen. Andy Uba.
Uba and the APC are questioning the election on the ground that it was marred with irregularities that contravened the provisions of the Electoral Act.
Justice Mohammed, however, granted the respondents time to file their responses and adjourned to Feb. 21, for hearing of preliminary applications.
The Eastern Updates had last month reported that the elections petitions tribunal was last year relocated from Awka to Ilorin, the capital of Kwara State,
The secretary of the tribunal, Surajo Gusau, told newsmen on Tuesday that the directive came from the President of the Appeal Court, Hon Justice Monica Dongban-Mensem.
‘The tribunal will now sit in Ilorin Kwara State and no longer Awka, Anambra State,’ she said.
Gusau also stated that no reason was given for the change of venue, adding that when reason is given, the petitioners and respondents as well as the media would be communicated.
It would be recalled that there had been stories making the rounds that the tribunal would be sitting in Abuja for fear of insecurity but that was dismissed by the tribunal secretary.
THE EASTERN UPDATES
