The Cross River State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal has upheld the election of Governor Bassey Otu of All Progressives Congress (APC). The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and its governorship candidate in the March 18 gubernatorial election, Prof. Sandy Onor, had filed a petition challenging the electoral victory of Otu.
In a unanimous judgement on Tuesday, September 26, the Tribunal chairman, Justice Oken Inneh, held that the issues of qualification of Prince Otu and dual citizenship of Rt. Hon. Peter Odey were pre-election matters and therefore status barred. Explaining further on the issue of allegation of the Deputy Governor, Hon. Peter Odey (3rd respondent) swearing an oath of allegiance of being British citizen and therefore has dual citizenship, the Tribunal said the matter is statue barred and the petitioners did not exhibits to prove their case neither were there any averrment shown.
On the issue of party’s membership of Rt Hon Odey, the three-man panel held that membership of political party is exclusively party matters and it’s a pre-election issue therefore the petitioners lacks locus standi to challenge it.
