Tribunal dismisses petition against Orji Kalu’s election

The National and State House of Assembly Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Umuahiaon Thursday dismissed a petition filed against the election of Senator Orji Kalu as the senator representing Abia North.

The petitioner, Anagha Anagha, the candidate of All Grassroots Alliance (AGA) had filed the petition on grounds that he was unlawfully excluded from the February 23 Abia North senatorial election.

Anagha therefore, urged the tribunal to annul the election of the former Abia state governor and order a fresh poll.

But, delivering a unanimous judgment, Chairman of the three-member panel, Justice Cornelius Akintayo, held that the first petitioner, Anagha failed to prove his allegation of exclusion by the first respondent, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

Justice Akintayo said that all records at the panel’s disposal indicate that the second petitioner, AGA did not present any candidate for the senatorial election.

He held that the first petitioner, having not been a candidate of any party, lacks the legal standing to present his case before the tribunal, and therefore, dismissed the petition.

The panel had earlier granted the application of the AGA, seeking to strike out its name from the petition on grounds that the first petitioner was never nominated by it.

Meanwhile, the panel on Tuesday fixed September 9 for judgment in the matter between Senator Mao Ohabunwa of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Sen. Kalu of the APC over the same Abia North Senatorial District. (NAN)