Success has many brothers while failure remains an orphan, so the saying goes. And so it has been that while many are savouring the joy of their victory and popping champagne many candidates still have their hopes and expectations hanging in the balance.
Though the elections have been fought, won and lost, at the polling booths, the fight is still ongoing for many at the Election Petition tribunals in the state which has been inundated with torrents of petitions.
Some of the heavy weights that did battle in the just concluded elections are seeking to have their ways in the Courts and include the likes of Jones Onyereri, Goodluck Opiah, Nnanna Igbokwe etc.
In the Suit No EPT/NASS/ SEN/IM/08/2019, Chukwudi Jonas Onyereri of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) as the petitioner is suing Ethelbert Anayo Rochas Okorocha and 4 others seeking to be declared the winner of the Orlu West Senatorial seat.
It would be recalled that controversy had dogged the result of this zone with the declaration by the Returning Officer that the earlier result pronounced by him was made under duress.
The situation had compelled INEC to refuse to release the Certificate of Return to Okorocha forcing the later to sue the electoral umpire in an Abuja High Court.
In the same Orlu Zone of Ohaji/Egbema/Oguta/Oru West federal Constituency, the incumbent occupying the House of Representative seat, Goodluck Nana Opiah and his party the All Progressives Congress (APC) is at daggers drawn with Kingsley Chima Uju, the Action Alliance (AA) candidate and another. Uju was declared winner of the federal seat. The case file is EPT/NASS/HR/IM/11/2019
In Owerri Zone, the House of Representative seat for Ahiazu/Ezinihite Mbaise won by the PDP Chinedu Emeka Martins is being contested by the incumbent Hon. Raphael Nnanna Igbokwe of the APC. Two others are also joined in the suit No EPT/NASS/HR/IM/12/2019.
At the Nkwerre/Isu/Njaba/Nwangele Federal constituency, Mr. Kingsley Echendu of the PDP is seeking to wrestle the seat from Ugonna Ozuruigbo of the APC who was declared winner. Four others were joined in the suit. The case was captured in the suit No EPT/NASS/HR/IM/10/2019.
In the suit No. EPT/NASS/ HR/IM/06/2019, Sunday Chukwu Ukabam Esq and his APGA is challenging the winner of the House of Reps seat for Ideato North and South Federal Constituency, Dr. Pascal Obi of the Action Alliance (AA) with four others involved in the action. Pascal Obi is also facing another challenger in the person of George Onyeabor Igbo in the suit No. EPT/NASS/HR/IM/10/2019.
In the Owerri Federal seat, contained in the suit No. EPT/NASS/HR/IM/7/2019, Barr. Tony Umezuruike of the APC and another is seeking to wrestle the seat from the PDP candidate, Ikenna Elezianya.
TheOrlu/ Orsu/Oru East Federal Constituency is also not without contention as Hon Edwin Ogechukwu Ihenacho of the AA and another is suing the INEC and four others in the suit no EPT/NASS/ HR/IM/ 03/2019.
In the meantime attention appears shifted away from the Tribunal as many are still focused around those with their Certificates of Return. The Tribunal sitting in the old High Court 3 are warming up to kick off hearing in the affected cases any moment from now.
Nigeria Horn
