Imported User:
The Cross River State Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Calabar yesterday dismissed the petition by the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) challenging the declaration of Liyel Imoke as governor of the state.
The party had in March 23, 2012, filed a petition against the declaration of the Peoples Democratic Party’s (PDP) candidate as winner of the Feb. 25 governorship election conducted by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
In the petition no EPT/CR/GOV/1/2012, ACN and its candidate, Mr. Usani Usani claimed that PDP did not conduct primaries in accordance with Sect. 8 (1) of the Electoral Act 2010 as amended. The party therefore challenged the validity of the nomination of Senator Imoke as candidate of PDP in the said election.
ACN also alleged irregularities in the conduct of the election and inflation of results in violation of sect. 138 of the Electoral Act 2010 as amended. The party urged the Tribunal to either disqualify the PDP candidate and declare ACN candidate winner of the election or nullify the election in its entirety. According to the petition, the ACN joined INEC, the Resident Electoral Commissioner, PDP and Governor Liyel Imoke as respondents.
