Anambra Electoral Tribunal Confirms 42 Petitions Received

The Secretary of the Anambra State National and House of Assembly Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Awka, Anambra State capital, Faliat Orere has disclosed that the tribunal has received 42 petitions challenging the outcome of various elections in the State.

According to Orere, a breakdown of the figure shows that eight petitions were for the Senatorial election, nine for House of Representatives and 25 for House of Assembly elections.

Notably one of the petitions before the tribunal was filed by Senator Victor Umeh, All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) candidate in the last election.

Umeh is challenging the election of Mrs. Uche Ekwunife, candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as Senator-elect for Anambra Central Senatorial Zone over alleged violence and irregularities in some local goverments in the zone during the election.

 Another outstanding petition before the tribunal is the one by Chief Chris Uba of the PDP, challenging the election of Dr. Ifeanyi Uba, of the Young Progressives Party (YPP), as Senator-elect for Anambra South Senatorial Zone.

Chris Uba had prior to going to the Tribunal approached the Federal High Court sitting in Awka, which subsequently gave the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) 14 days to investigate the alleged announcement of the Anambra South Senatorial result under duress by the returning officer, who later denied it.