By Uket Oka Calabar
The Governorship Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Calabar, Cross River State capital has dismissed the petition of the Governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Senator Sandy Ojang Onor challenging the election of Governor Bassey Edet Otu of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
In unanimous judgement delivered Tuesday, the tribunal headed by Justice Oken Inneh held that the petition of Senator Onor and the PDP was dismissed for lack of merit.
The Governorship candidate of the PDP in the State had approached the tribunal seeking the nullification if the March 18, 2023 election of Governor Otu for lack of qualification.
He also wanted the tribunal to nullify his election on grounds that his deputy, Rt. Hon. Peter Odey has a dual citizenship.
Other ground sought was that as at the time of election, the deputy governor was still a member of the PDP.
The judge also said the petitioners failed to prove that the second and third respondents (Sen. Bassey Otu and Rt. Hon. Peter Odey) were not qualified to contest for the position of Governor and Deputy Governor.
Justice Inneh further held that the issue of qualification is a post-election matter and the complaint of false information ought to have been instituted at the Federal High Court within 14 days as required by law.
On membership of the PDP by the third respondent (Odey), the judge held that the issue of nomination and membership of a party is a domestic affair of a party and is not justiciable.
Meanwhile, the Cross River State Chairman of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Barr. Alphonsus Ogar Eba, has described the victory of Governor Bassey Out at the election petition tribunal as well deserved and affirmation of the ‘People First’ administration.
Eba also noted that the victory was a clear expression of the wishes of Cross Riverians at the governorship polls and thanked the people of the State for their support and prayers for the governor, adding that the tribunal victory was the true manifestation of the wishes of Cross Riverians.
He said Governor Bassey Otu won the election convincingly, saying that the judgment was an affirmation of the mandate Cross Riverianss freely gave to the Governor at the polls.
“First and foremost, I want to congratulate our dynamic Sweet Governor on his victory at the Governorship Election Petition Tribunal as this judgement did not come to me as a surprise because he won the Governorship election convincingly and today the governor has been vindicated by the Election Petition Tribunal.
“I have confidence in our judiciary as it remains the last hope of the common man and today the election petition tribunal has spoken loud and clear on the 2023 Governorship election in Cross River State. This is a sweet victory for democracy and we give the glory to our Almighty God,” he stated.
According to him, the petitions by opposition the were mere distractions to divert government attention from its business of ensuring holistic development and delivering the dividends of democracy.
The Chairman urged the opposition to sheath its swords which lacks merit as stated by the tribunal’s verdict and join hands with Governor Out to move Cross River State forward.
Also commenting on the ruling, the State Commissioner for Aviation, Capt. Eno Utum Inah (rtd) said it was a victory for the entire people of the State who gave him their mandate in the March 18, 2023 Governorship poll.
Capt. Inah (rtd) further expressed optimism that the State Governor, Prince Bassey Edet Otu, would now remain focused on his “People First” agenda devoid of any distraction.
