..As PDP guber candidate alleges irregularities, vows to go to court
By Sixtus Uket (Calabar)
The Cross River State Election Petitions Tribunal sitting in Calabar, the State capital has so far received 13 petitions challenging the outcome of the National Assembly Elections held on February 25 in the State.
The Secretary of the tribunal Mr. A. D. Bambur Esq., who made this known in Calabar, also stated that the Tribunal has so far sat and granted leave to all the applicants to go ahead and inspect the election materials.
A breakdown of the petitions showed that three petitions are challenging the elections of the three Senators-elect, while ten are challenging the election of the eight House of Representatives Members-elect in the State.
The Governor, Cross River State, Prof. Ben Ayade, who lost his bid to return to the Senate to the incumbent Senator representing the Northern Senatorial District, Senator Jarigbe Agom Jarigbe of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has his case listed as Petition number, EPT/CRS/Sen/2/2023.
Governor Ayade contested the Cross River State Northern Senatorial Elections under the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in the State.
On the other hand, a-two-time member of the House of Representatives and former Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Rt Hon. Bassey Eko Ewa petitioned against the result of the Central Senatorial District.
The petition for the Central Senatorial District Election, which is listed as EPT/CRS/SEN/1/2023 is between Rt. Hon. Bassey Eko Ewa of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and others versus the Senator-elect and current Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon Eteng Williams of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and others.
For the Southern Senatorial District, the Member representing Akamkpa/Biase Federal Constituency in the State, Rt. Hon. Daniel Asuquo of the Labour Party (LP) and others petitioned against the election of Mr. Asuquo Ekpenyong Jnr of the APC and the suite is listed as EPT/CRS/SEN/03/2023.
Also challenging the NASS election of February 25, include a former House of Representatives Member, Atta Ochinke of the PDP against the election of Hon. Victor Abang of the All Progressives Congress, APC for the Ikom/ Boki Federal Constituency.
Meanwhile, the Governorship Candidate of the PDP at the March 18 elections in the State, Senator Sandy Ojang Onor, has vowed to challenge the process that made INEC to declare his opponent of the APC, Senator Bassey Edet Otu winner of the Governorship poll.
Senator Onor said that the exercise was characterised by a plethora of irregularities including over voting, vote buying amongst others hence his decision to challenge the elections.
“In the first elections, the violations were minimal, but we know that the APC overreached itself in some places. It happened also in Boki, it happened in some places in Yakurr, it happened in Biase and in Yala and some places in Calabar South and Akpabuyo.
“The security forces were also not as professional as they were in the first election. There was official conspiracy. And it appeared that, the lndependent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the security agencies came together in the mother of all conspiracies and violated the electoral process.
“The records are there to show, that the will of the people was emasculated and undermined, and things went the way the went. And everyone knows, so, it’s not hidden, the people know that these elections were a sham. What we saw was a complete derogation from anything democratic.
There are other candidates who are also warming up with their evidence to go to the tribunal, including Thomas Aruku of the APC who sought the Ogoja State Constituency seat and is going to court to challenge the victory of Hon Rita Ayim of the PDP.
But as at the time of filing this report, the tribunal could only confirm that, it has received 13 petitions so far.
Bambur further explained that parties are currently serving the various summons and petitions to each other.
