By Wisdom Nwedene , Abuja
The Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Abuja on Wednesday struck out Petitions filed by the candidate of All Progressive Grand Alliance, APGA, Professor Benard Odoh against Ebonyi State Governor, Francis Ogbonna Nwifuru.
Professor Odoh had urged the court to overturn the Ebonyi governor’s election on the grounds of non-qualification.
Prof Odoh had argued through his lawyer, Jibrin Okutepa, SAN, that Nwifuru, “who was until and after the election, a member of the Ebonyi State House of Assembly and also occupied the office of the Speaker of the house under the platform of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) was not qualified to contest the election to the seat of Governor of Ebonyi State.
Consequently, APGA and Odoh urged the Tribunal to nullify Mr Nwifuru’s victory on account of his non-qualification for the election.
However, delivering judgment on the petition, the three-member panel headed by Justice Lekan Ogunmoye, held that the petitioners lacked the locus standi to institute the action because the issue was an internal affair of the APC.
Our correspondent is still monitoring the development as the Tribunal is also delivering Judgement on the petition filed by the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Ifeanyi Odii.
