PDP’s Odey Floors APC’s Agi at Election Tribunal

By Bassey Inyang

The Election Petitions Tribunal sitting in Calabar Friday, upheld the victory of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, Dr. Stephen Odey, in the Cross River North Senatorial District by-election.

Delivering the judgment in a petition by Joe Agi (SAN) with number: EPT/CR/SEN/03/2020, the chairman of the three-man election tribunal, Justice Yusuf Muhammad, upheld the preliminary objection raised by Odey’s lawyer that the two grounds of petition were pre-election matters.

The Tribunal, therefore, struck out the petition for lack of merit.

The tribunal also held that Jarigbe Agom, who is the second respondent in the petition, was never cleared nor contested the December 5, 2020, PDP primaries.

It therefore faulted the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for the wrongful issuance of certificate of return to member House of Representatives, Jarigbe Agom Jarigbe, who was an aspirant of the PDP.

The tribunal further held that Senator Odey, who is the first respondent, was duly returned as the senator representing Cross River North.

The All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Agi, had gone to the election tribunal against the candidate of the PDP who was declared winner of the Cross River North Senatorial District poll.