THE Cross River State National and State Assembly Election Petitions Tribunal sitting in Calabar has disqualified itself, thereby rendering its proceedings and rulings null and void.

Despite its disqualification yesterday, the tribunal went ahead to deliver judgment on the five cases it had at its disposal on grounds of “mere academic exercise” and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) won in all.
The other four cases were between Dr. Alex Egobona of Labour Party (LP) and Bassey Ewa of the PDP; Stanislous Tawo Afu of LP and Agibe Ngoro of PDP; Dominic Aqua Edemof LP and Apostle Essien Ayi of PDP as well as Dr. Julius Okputu of LP and Dr. Rose Oko of PDP.

The panel had on October 6 re-composed with Justice O. A. Adeniyi taking over from Justice Christopher Awubra as new chairman following the application from Paul Erokoro SAN, counsel to Senator Gershom Bassey, the PDP in the election petition by Senator Bassey Otu of the Labour Party (LP) challenging the declaration of Bassey as winner of the March 28, 2015polls in Cross River South Senatorial District.

Erokoro had in his motion averred that the tribunal chairman was not competent to assume that role saying, “Schedule 6 of the Nigerian constitution says Chairman of the Tribunal should be a sitting High Court judge but Justice Christopher Awubra is a member of a Customary Court of Appeal in Taraba State”.

Ruling Justice Adeniyi said Awubra ”not being a judge of a High Court, the proceedings of the tribunal from inception up to October 6 should be set aside”.