Governor Bassey Otu of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has thrashed Sen. Sandy Onor of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in court as the Cross River State Governorship Elections Petition Tribunal upheld his election as the governor of the state.
Giving its judgement on Tuesday (Sept. 26) in Calabar, the tribunal headed by Justice Oken Inneh said the petition filed by the PDP’s gubernatorial candidate, Sen. Onor lacks merit and is accordingly dismissed.
The judge said the petitioners failed to prove that the second and third respondents (Sen. Bassey Otu and Rt. Hon. Peter Odey) were not qualified to contest for the position of Governor and Deputy Governor.
Justice Inneh further held that the issue of qualification is a post-election matter and the complaint of false information ought to have been instituted at the Federal High Court within 14 days as required by law.
On membership of the PDP by the third respondent (Odey), the judge held that the issue of nomination and membership of a party is a domestic affair of a party and is not justiciable.
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Reacting to the judgement, counsel to the petitioner (Sandy Onor), Dr Jonah Musa, SAN commended the tribunal for the industry put into the case irrespective of whether they won or lost.
He added that if he is dissatisfied with the judgment he knows where to go.
On his part, counsel to the second and third respondent Professor Mike Ozekhome, SAN, thanked the tribunal for the judgment.
He said the case was as dead as dodo from the outset, and that going further to appeal is like flogging a dead horse.