The Election Petitions Tribunal sitting in Calabar Friday upheld the victory of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, candidate, Dr. Stephen Odey, in the Cross River North Senatorial District by-election.
Delivering the judgment in a petition by Joy Agi with number: EPT/CR/SEN/03/2020, Chairman of the three-man election tribunal, Justice Yusuf Muhammad, upheld the preliminary objection raised by Odey’s lawyer that the two grounds of the petition were pre-election matters.
It, therefore, struck out the petition for lack of merit.
The tribunal also held that Jarigbe Agom who is the 2nd respondent in the petition was never cleared nor contested the 5th December 2020, PDP primaries.
It, therefore, faulted the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, for the wrongful issuance of a certificate of return to Mr. Agom.
The tribunal further held that Senator Odey who is the 1st respondent was duly returned as senator representing Cross River North.
The All Progressives Congress, APC, candidate, Agi SAN, had gone to the election tribunal against the candidate of the PDP who was declared winner of the Cross River North Senatorial District poll.