By Nsan Ndoma-Neji, Calabar
The National Assembly Elections Petition Tribunal, sitting in Calabar, the Cross River State capital on Saturday affirmed the election of Senator Agom Jarigbe of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, as winner of Cross Cross North senatorial district election, meaning that Senator Jarigbe continue as the representative of the people of Cross River North at the Senate.
The three-man panel of judges, led by Justice M. A. Sambo, in a unanimous decision, upheld the victory of Senator Jarigbe in the election.
The immediate past governor of Cross River State, Ben Ayade, of the All Progressives Congress, APC, had in suit No. EPT/CR/SEN/02/2023 sought the nullification of the February 25, 2023 senatorial election by the tribunal for being riddled with malpractices and non-compliance with the Electoral Act.
The immediate past governor of Cross River State also disputed about 377 polling units in the election of Cross River North senatorial district.
In a five-hour judgment, the tribunal dismissed the claimant’s petition, stating that there is no sufficient evidence to invalidate the election.
The tribunal subsequently struck out the evidences, particularly the presidential election result sheet presented by the petitioners for being contrary to what they pleaded in their statement on oath.
