The Court of Appeal in the ordered the Ebonyi State Election Petition Tribunal to relocate to the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, with immediate effect.
The order issued by Monica Mensem, Chief Judge of the Court, was announced on Wednesday in Abakaliki by Secretary of the Tribunal, Nyior Henry Sekulla. Noting the closure of the Election Petition Tribunal office at the Ebonyi Judiciary Headquarters in Abakaliki.
He said; “The Hon. Justice Monica Dongban Mensem, President Court of Appeal – HPCA has through the Deputy Chief Registrar, Election Petition Tribunal (EPT) Headquarters Abuja, directed the relocation of EPT sitting here to Abuja,” Sekulla said.
Mr Henry, on the other hand, declined to explain why the tribunal was moved to Abuja, claiming it was beyond his authority to speak on the subject.
He added that the Rivers State Election Petition Tribunal and one other state’s were also affected.
Ifeanyi Odii, the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party in Ebonyi State, and Bernard Odoh, the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Grand Alliance, had both rejected the declaration of Francis Nwifuru as the winner of the 18 March election and the state’s governor-elect.
