Governorship election petition tribunal foreclosed INEC, 35 others for failing to Meet deadline in Imo state

The Imo State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Owerri tuesday foreclosed the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and 35 other respondents for failing to file their reply within the allowed time-frame in a petition filed by the Governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Emeka Ihedioha.
The counsel representing the 1st respondent, Chief Adeniyi Akintola (SAN) noted that the parties were not properly served, and that the All Progressives Congress (APC) supposed to have been served in her headquarters in Abuja instead of Owerri.
Aligning with that submission, the 37th Respondent (APC) counsel, Chief Nelson Ezerioha observed that the service to the client was fundamentally defective and therefore null and void, stating that in that circumstance, no motion could be moved until all the necessary services were duly concluded.
While the 15th respondent, Robert Okwuego, who was the APC agent in Oru East during the governorship election, said that he had not personally served, the counsel for the 13th and 14th respondents, S.N. Nnadi admitted that his clients were duly served and was ready to go on with the matter.
Counsel to the Petitioner, Chief Mike Ahamba (SAN) objected the submissions of the respondents, noting that such amounted to eroding of justice and urged the tribunal to go on with the pre-hearing session having had parties put on notice through the pre-hearing questionnaires which they had dully answered.
He further observed that the ‘antics’ or delay tactics employed by the respondents in the matter does not promote “nobility and honour” on the part of the counsels to the respondents, and therefore urged the tribunal “to avoid case management and proceed to case hearing”.
In his ruling, the tribunal chairman, Hon. Justice David Wyom over-ruled the respondents’ counsels, stating that once the parties have been served whether at the headquarters or her branch office, it was service duly done.
The tribunal also ruled that having duly served the respondents, that is, INEC and 34 others (2nd to 36th) and having failed to file their replies on time, they are therefore foreclosed in the matter.