C/River election tribunal warns against personal visits

The chairman of the three-man panel presiding over the Election Petition Tribunal in Cross River State, Hon Justice Vincent Agbata, has warned against personal visits.

Speaking at the inaugural sitting of the Tribunal in Calabar on Monday, Agbata also warned the Tribunal has no representative outside the court.

He said the panel, which also includes Hon Justices Ishaku Kunda and Abubakar Bello, was out to serve and would have an open door policy.

He said any person, who deals with anyone, that claims to be a representative of the Tribunal, would do so at his or her own risk.

“We would maintain an open door policy and we are approachable in the sense that we are ever willing to assist you. But every such application should be in court. Please don’t try to reach any of us privately. There would be no private visits. Please visit us in court and say whatever you want to say and we would be willing to assist if it is within the law,” Ishaku.

Attorney General of the state, Mr Joe Abang, said it was necessary for those who feel aggrieved about the elections to complain for adjudication.

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“Election is a democratic process of choosing leaders, but of course in Nigeria, as you all have come to see, elections have become rancorous and controversial such that it is only the election tribunal and indeed the judiciary that remains the hope of the common man. It is necessary that those who feel that the aggrieved to complain for adjudication,” he said.

Chairman of the Calabar Branch of the Nigeria Bar Association (NBA), Dr Emmanuel Idaka, represented by Daniel Edet, called on the Tribunal to be just to all parties.

He charged that everything should be done by the rules.

He called on lawyers to avoid unnecessary applications, as the Tribunal has a time frame.

It was also gathered Senator representing Cross River Central, John Owan-Enoh and Niger Delta Affairs Minister, Usani Usani, had filed separate petitions as candidates of the All Progressives Congress (APC) challenging the victory of the candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP).

Owan-Enoh and Usani have been in a protracted battle over who is the governors candidate of the APC in the state.

Secretary of the Tribunal, Mrs Josephine Ekperobe, disclosed that the Tribunal so far has received two petitions for the governorship elections, as mentioned above; four for the senatorial elections; eight for the House of Representatives polls; and 16 for the State House of Assembly.