By Anayo Okoli

UMUAHIA—THE National Assembly Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Umuahia yesterday upheld the election of the immediate past Governor of Abia State, Senator Theodore Orji as the senator representing Abia Central senatorial district.

*Gov Theodore Orji

Orji’s election was fiercely challenged by Mr. Amadi Nweke of the All Progressive Grand Alliance, [APGA].

In the judgment read by one of the Judges of the 3-man panel, Justice Imeh Umana, the panel said that Nweke failed to substantiate his seven prayers and claims that there were irregularities during the election.

The panel therefore struck out the petition on the grounds of incompetence and said that the petitioner failed in his prayers to state the total number of votes cast and prove that if the votes were properly recorded, he would have scored a specified number of votes.

According to Justice Umana, the inability of the petitioner to prove the number of votes he would specifically have gotten made the petition “vague, spurious as it had no stand”.

The tribunal further stated that the attempt of the petitioner to request to be allowed more time to present more facts makes his case “vague, incompetent, misleading and of no value”.

Hinging his judgment on the aforementioned reasons, Justice Umana said the petition “is hereby dismissed for being incompetent, having no verifiable bases, as the preliminary objects of the petitioner were struck out, which makes the case not to stand”.

In his reaction, Senator Orji expressed gratitude to God for the outcome of the case, saying that he has always had faith in the judiciary.