In a significant legal development, the Cross River State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal has ruled in favor of Governor Bassey Otu of the All Progressives Congress (APC), upholding his electoral victory. This verdict comes following a petition filed by the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and its governorship candidate, Prof. Sandy Onor, contesting the results of the March 18 gubernatorial election.
In a unanimous decision delivered on Tuesday, September 26, Justice Oken Inneh, the Tribunal chairman, provided the reasoning behind their judgment. The Tribunal held that certain issues were raised, including the qualification of Prince Otu and allegations of dual citizenship against Rt. Hon. Peter Odey were considered pre-election matters and thus, statute-barred. This meant that they were not within the jurisdiction of the Tribunal to address.
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Regarding the allegation that Deputy Governor Hon. Peter Odey held dual citizenship due to an oath of allegiance as a British citizen, the Tribunal noted that the matter was also statute-barred. The petitioners failed to provide evidence to substantiate their claims, and there were no relevant averments in their case.
Furthermore, when it came to the issue of Rt. Hon. Odey’s party membership, the three-member panel determined that party membership is exclusively a party matter and falls under the category of pre-election issues. As such, the petitioners did not have the legal standing (locus standi) to challenge it.
This ruling by the Cross River State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal marks a significant moment in the ongoing legal disputes surrounding the state’s gubernatorial election.
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