The Rivers State Senatorial Election Petition Tribunal has upheld the election of Senator Olaka Nwogo, representing Rivers South-East Senatorial District.
The tribunal sitting in Abuja, on Tuesday, dismissed the petition by Senator Magnus Abbe and his party, the All Progressives Congress (APC), to challenge the validity of the declaration of Nwogu as the winner of the senatorial election by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
In his judgment, Justice Mohammed Sifawa, held that Senator Abbe failed to prove beyond reasonable doubt, his allegation that there was no election in his senatorial district in the March 28 National Assembly elections.
The tribunal also held that the petitioner failed to call witnesses from all the over 1,400 polling units in the senatorial district to give evidence to substantiate his allegation against the election of Senator Nwogo.
The tribunal, however, said that in view of the failure of the petitioner to discharge the burden of proof in his allegation, the tribunal is left with no option than to dismiss the petition for lacking in merit and to uphold the declaration of Senator Nwogo as elected.
Reacting to the judgment, Senator Abbe vowed to appeal the judgment. He alleged that the tribunal was not fair for giving him only five days within which to call witnesses from over 1,400 polling units, which in practical terms, was impossible.
The arguments have been shifted to the appellate court where the petitioner would seek a redress.
