The National and state house of assembly election petitions tribunal sitting in Umuahia has dismissed the petition challenging the election of the member representing ikwuano/Umuahia federal constituency, honourable Sam Onuigbo.
The petitioner, Ikechukwu Margins Apugo of the All Progressive Congress had approached the tribunal urging it to cancel the election for being marred by a lot of irregularities.
Delivering a unanimous judgment, the Justice Cornelius Akintayo led panel held that the petitioner, Ikechukwu Apugo, among others things, failed to lay sufficient facts to warrant granting the reliefs sought and therefore dismissed the petition for lacking in merit.
It described allegation by the petitioner that election did not hold in Umuahia north except in Ndume on February 24 rather than February 23 as not well founded, adding, the petitioner introduced the fresh allegation when the respondents did not have enough time to reply to it.
The panel maintained that the burden lies with the petitioner to prove his case and does not shift to the respondents and thus, awarded N100, 000 relief in favour of the respondents and against the petitioner.
