Tina Amanda
The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, and its candidate for State the House Assembly Asari-Toru local government Constituency 1, Wellington Tekenari Grandville, has closed their case with thirty-five Witnesses on the petition filed against Social Democratic Party SDP and its candidate, Honourable Ipalibo George, on the conduct of March 9th election that returned the SDP candidate.
The petitioners PDP and its candidate had filed a petition in the National and State House Assembly Election Tribunal in Port Harcourt, challenging the March 9th election, with claims that Honourable Wellington Tekenari Grandville won the election in Asari-Toru Constituency 1 with highest votes.
Testifying before the tribunal, Dr Onyeka Festus, who worked as a Collation/Returning Officer for Asari-Toru Constituency 1, testified that PDP won in the polling units and wards, stressing that he summited the EC8C1, EC8CP1 declaration result sheets to INEC, with a formal report attached to it.
He said further that collation of result was already concluded before the invasion of thugs at the Collation centre, adding that he was not abducted as earlier speculated.
Honourable Wellington Tekenari Grandville testified that he voted successfully in his polling unit 2, ward 1 and that he won the election, adding that it was immediately after the declaration of result that armed uniform men accompanied by thugs stormed the collation centre.
Speaking to our reporter Tina Amanda, Counsel to the petitioners’ DIKE UDENNA, said they are challenging the election conduct because the wrong person was declared the winner.
On his part, Counsel to SDP and its candidate SOMINA ELEKIMA, said the SDP candidate Ipalibo George won the election and was issued a certificate of return.
