INEC tenders final exhibits to Abia governorship election petition tribunal

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Tuesday tendered its final exhibits to the Abia Governorship Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Umuahia.

The exhibits were tendered by Counsel for INEC, Mr Emeka Eze, and they included forms EC8A and EC8B which, he said, contained the polling and ward unit results of the 17 local government areas of Abia.

Eze, after tendering the documents, asked for an adjournment to enable the commission to seek for its remaining witnesses.

The Chairman of the tribunal, Justice Lekan Ogunmoye, granted his prayer and adjourned sitting to Thursday, July 25.

News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that INEC opened its defence last Thursday as the first respondent in a suit filed by Dr Alex Otti, the 2019 Governorship Candidate of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) in the state.

Otti and APGA closed their case last Tuesday, while INEC was given 10 days to close its defence.

Otti and his party are seeking the cancellation of the poll’s result in 14 of the 17 Local Government Areas of Abia. They alleged that the process, which produced Gov. Okezie Ikpeazu of the Peoples Democratic Party, was marred by massive irregularities.