By Vincent Ujumadu

AWKA— Anambra State Governorship Election Tribunal sitting in Awka yesterday rejected an application by Chief Emeka Ngige, SAN, the counsel to the governorship candidate of Action Congress, AC, in the 6 February governorship election in the state, Dr. Chris Ngige, to invite additional witnesses in pursuit of his petition against the victory of Mr. Peter Obi of the All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA.

The five-member tribunal, headed by Justice Pius Damilak said it could not grant the application on the ground that it came outside the period allowed for such amendment under the Electoral Act 2006 and 1999 constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

The petitioner had through his counsel on 21 May 2010, urged the tribunal to admit two additional deponents to his case marked by the tribunal as exhibits ‘A’ and ‘B which were deposed to by Kingsley Emeka and Ben  Nwosu respectively. 

The two exhibits contain analysis and observations on the voters’ registers which they allegedly obtained from the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC.

Both Dr. Onyechi Ikpeazu, SAN, counsel to Obi and Chief J.T..U Nnodum, SAN, counsel to  INEC had opposed the application on the ground that it was made contrary to section 141 of the Electoral Act 2006.
According to Onyechi, granting the application will amount to allowing the petitioner to amend his petition in its entirety, thereby harming the respondents. 

Besides, he said the two deponents have not convinced the tribunal that they were experts in analyzing INEC voters’ register, adding that what they wanted to do would not in any way aid the tribunal in arriving at any justice in the case. 

In the ruling, a member of the tribunal, Justice I.S. Kamaldeen, said: “We agree that admission of exhibit “A” and “B” will run counter to section 141 of the Electoral Act 2006.

“We are incapacitated as a tribunal in granting the application. Therefore, the application is hereby dismissed.”

The tribunal urged counsel to the parties in the case to file their written addresses and list of witnesses not later than 16 July. The tribunal meanwhile adjourned the case to Monday, 19 July 2010, to enable the parties adopt them.