The Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Abakaliki, the capital of Ebonyi state yesterday upheld the victory of Senator Obinna Ogba, representing Ebonyi Central senatorial zone and Dr Sam Egwu of Ebonyi North .
The Tribunal declared their elections as credible and violence-free.
The chairman of the tribunal, Mr John Agua, who delivered the judgement dismissed the petition filed by Na Elechi challenging the victory of Ogba for lack of merit.
Agua said what the petitioner should have done is to bring all evidences to prove that all his allegations are factual, adding that the document he submitted was not enough to substantiate his clams that the election was full of corrupt practices.
As stated by him, all forensic materials that were submitted were rejected for not dully submitted on or before 21 days as stipulated by electoral law.
The chairman noted that the issue as to whether the first respondent is duly elected as the winner of the Ebonyi central zone is indeed proved.
He stated that the allegation by the counsel to the petitioner that the election was marred by corrupt practices, illegal thumb printing, ballot paper snatching, parading of fake electoral materials, falsification of result, and other criminal offences lack merit as the petitioner did not provide convincing facts to substantiate his claims.
He noted that the claim that the election was marred by irregularities is still an allegation as the petitioner did not convince the tribunal with facts that the election is actually marred by irregularities.
The chairman of the tribunal also said that the petitioner was unable to prove the allegation that there is non – compliance with the electoral act in the conduct of the election, just as he added that the petitioner alleged that there was electoral fraud in four local government areas that made up Ebonyi central zone of the state.
He said the evidence provided by the petitioner is insufficient to substantiate his claims of irregularity and as such dismissed the petition of Na Elechi for lack of merit.
The petitioner, Elechi Na had prayed the court to cancel the election and fresh election be conducted in Ebonyi central zone on the ground that the election through which Obinna Ogba emerged winner was marred by irregularities.
Also, another petition filled by Peter Ogeali challenging the victory of Senator Sam Egwu, was equally dismissed for failure of the petitioner to bring a witness that has first class information to testified on irregularities claimed to have marred the election rather he based his allegations on hear say.
Ogeali who was challenging the victory of the former governor alleged that the election that produced Egwu as the senator representing Ebonyi North senatorial zone was marred by irregularities, snatching of ballot papers, multiple thumb printing among other criminal activities.