Tina Amanda
The Election Petition Appeal sitting in Port Harcourt has dismissed two appeals filed by the Action Democratic Party and it’s Governorship candidate Victor Fingesi, challenging the interlocutory ruling of the Governorship Election Petition Tribunal delivered on 4th July.
The 1st appeal is seeking for the amendment of clerical errors, which the petitioner’s counsel was tendering after exhausting 21 days of his time for application, alteration filing and calling of Witnesses had expired.
The 2nd appeal is seeking for amendment, for the tribunal to strike out some offensive paragraphs contained in the Petition, which the tribunal ordered the petitioner to file a clean copy of election petition devoid of sections earlier struck out.
Justice Philomena Ekwe led five-man Election Appeal panel while delivering the ruling dismissed the appeal as lacking in merit, stressing that the request has become academic and that the court has no jurisdiction to hear the matter while describing it as an act of futility.
Justice Philomena Ekwe, ordered the petitioners to pay the sum of 100,000 thousand naira each to all the respondents in the matter.
Speaking to our reporter Tina Amanda, Counsel to the petitioner DOLAPO TELLA-ATTONI, said the amendment they sort is substantive, adding that they will further express their grievance at the Supreme Court.
