Abia State News Special Report
ABIA SOUTH: NKWONTA BLOWS HOT, SAYS SENATORIAL TRIBUNAL ERRED IN LAW
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Afnews Editor
Sep 20, 2019
All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA, candidate in the Abia
South senatorial poll, Chief Chris Nkwonta, has faulted the judgment of the
election petition tribunal which dismissed his petition against Senator
Enyinnaya Abaribe of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.
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Abaribe and Chief Chris Nkwonta of APGA contested the 2019
Abia South Senatorial seat.
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Delivering judgment on the petition, Justice Wasiu
Animashaun held that the petitioner was wrong by solely insisting on the use of
smart card reader for accreditation of voters.
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Justice Animashaun stressed that the use of manual
accreditation during the election is also allowed.
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In a chat with journalists on Thursday in Umuahia, Nkwonta
said the tribunal erred in law when it failed to consider the fact that the
INEC guideline on the use of smart card readers for accreditation of voters,
was part of the electoral process.
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He lamented that the tribunal also ignored the various cases
of over-voting and numerous mutilations of results entered in favour of his
opponent and expressed hope that the Court of Appeal would rectify the matter.
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"The tribunal erred in its judgment. It ignored the major
flank of the petition which was the issue of the use of smart card readers to
accredit voters. The use of smart card readers as an INEC guideline to accredit
voters is part of the electoral process meant to ensure the integrity of the
system.
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"The tribunal also ignored the serial mutilation of results
across polling units in the zone, especially in Obingwa where my opponent comes
from. The question is, if my opponent is popular, why did he have to resort to
rigging in his local government?
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"Our judicial system must check the issue of desperation among political office seekers. The issue is that during the election, a candidate will manipulate the system to be declared a winner because he knows that his action will be rendered a fait accompli by the tribunal. This is unfair. There is no doubt that the Court of Appeal will not ignore such facts,ÔÇØ he said.
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