Imo State Tribunal Sacks Senator Athan Achonu

Senator Athan Achonu
The tribunal further ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to conduct a new election withing 90 days of the  judgement.
The petition was filed by Mrs Rita Ibemere Okoroafor of the Accord Party who challenged the outcome of the election because her party logo was omitted by INEC in the ballot paper used in the election.
Delivering Judgment in the petition, the tribunal ruled that the Accord Party candidate proved her case beyond all reasonable doubt, 247ureports.com reports.
Hon. Justice Garba I.B, who read the judgement on behalf of other members of the tribunal, said the tribunal had no option than to accede to the petitioner’s request to cancel the election because her witnesses and evidence before the court were consistent.
The tribunal also said she was not only unlawfully excluded but also that the election did not meet substantial compliance as demanded by 2010 Electoral Act as amended.
The tribunal described as totally unacceptable INEC’s claim that it rectified the omission by using the customized ballot for Imo East (Owerri Zone) as unacceptable, adding that the attempt was akin to digging a new pit to fill an old one since it would have resulted in the unlawful exclusion of parties whose logos and symbols were omitted in Imo East (Owerri Zone) ballot paper.
The cancellation of national assembly members’ elections  seem to affect mostly members of the Peoples Democratic Party as less than three days after the National and State Assembly Elections Petition Tribunal in Ogun state  of the Peoples Democratic Party, another senator from the party in Enugu suffered a similar fate.
Meanwhile,. His election was upheld by an election petition tribunal sitting in Ilorin, the Kwara state capital, yesterday, October 13.
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