Abia State Governor, Dr Okezie Ikpeazu on Thursday prayed the Governorship Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Umuahia, to dismiss the petition filed by Dr Alex Otti, Igbere TV reports.
Igbere TV reports that Otti is the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) candidate for the 2019 poll, while incumbent Governor Ikpeazu contested and won a second term on the PDP platform.
Otti, who is challenging the victory of Ikpeazu in the March 9 governorship poll, alleged massive irregularities in 15 of 17 Local Government Areas in the state.
Adopting his final written address, Chief Wole Olanipekun (SAN), lead counsel for Ikpeazu, urged the panel to dismiss the petitioner’s (Otti) case for lacking in merit.
He argued that the main document which the petitioners were relying on was procured after their petition had been filed.
He accused the petitioners of dumping document on the panel, alleging that the document itself was suspicious.
In his submission, Zakawanu Garuba, counsel for the second respondent (INEC), said the documents tendered by the petitioners did not conform with the schedule of the electoral law.
He, therefore, urged the panel to disregard the petition.
But Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), lead counsel for the petitioners, urged the panel to dismiss the objections of the respondents.
He claimed that the aspect of the law in which they were relying upon in their arguments with respect to the use of smart card readers had been changed.
Fagbemi also countered the submission of Olanipekun, saying that INEC never disowned the documents tendered by the petitioners.
After listening to all arguments in the matter, Justice Lekan Ogumonye, Chairman of the panel, reserved judgment for a date to be communicated to all the parties.
