Party to appeal tribunal verdict in A'Ibom

dimeji akinloye

October 21, 2015 9:41 PM

The party's Chairman in the state, Dr. Amadu Atai, expressed that the party is dissatisfied with the nullification of elections in 18 local government areas.

Following the cancellation of the April 11 governorship election in Akwa Ibom state, the All Progressives Congress (APC) has vowed to appeal the judgement.

The party's Chairman in the state, Dr. Amadu Atai, expressed that the party is dissatisfied with the nullification of elections in 18 local government areas.

He said the irregularities in the governorship polls cut across all the local government areas of the state, noting that elections did not take place at all in some of them.

“The tribunal has cancelled the governorship elections in 18 local government areas as it ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission to conduct elections in the affected LGAs. But we are going to appeal because we expect cancellation in more local government areas, where discrepancies were pervasive,” he said.

Also reacting to the judgement, the Peoples Democratic Party state chairman, Mr. Paul Ekpo said it was confusing.

He said: “The judgement is very confusing except that my governor, who had won elections overwhelmingly in the state, still remains the governor. The rerun in 18 LGAs, as ordered by the tribunal, as you know, we will win. Besides, we will meet at the party level to look at the judgement."

A legal practitioner, Mr. Udo George, who also spoke on the tribunal verdict stated that the entire election should have been cancelled.

“As the judgment stands, it is advantageous to the Peoples Democratic Party, which has been awarded 13 local government areas already.

“PDP will still contest against the APC in the 18 LGAs which elections had been nullified. They will still win some; I do not see any possibility for the APC to get between 75 and 80 per cent in the affected LGAs. The judgement, to me, is inconclusive”, George said.