The Election Petitions Tribunal (Panel 3) sitting in Uyo, has dismissed the Petition of the defeated candidate of APC for the Ibiono Ibom State House of Assembly, Owodinyene Ekpenyong, challenging the election of the PDP Candidate, Obong Godwin Ekpo.
Recall that sequel to petitions and media attacks by the Akwa Ibom State APC, the Panel 3 Tribunal inherited Petitions including the Ibiono Ibom State House of Assembly Petition from the Justice Jennifer Ilohor led Tribunal.
The Tribunal ruled today that, Ekpenyong’s Petition is “manifestly incompetent and incurably defective”.
The Tribunal also expunged Evidences of six Witnesses out of nine witnesses called by the Petitioners, on grounds that they’re inadmissible.
The three-man Panel held that proving allegations in a Petition is a burden of the Petitioners.
They added that the Petitioners have not proven their allegations to the Tribunal beyond reasonable doubt, as such, “it is not the duty of the Tribunal to conduct investigation on behalf of the Petitioners”, who were represented in court by Ubong Offiong and Adenoyin Ewedemi.
Barr Emmanuel Enoidem, Utibe Nwoko and Edima Akpan represented Hon Godwin Ekpo, while Barr Godwill Umoh and Barr O. B. Akpan represented the First Respondent, PDP.
