ABIA NORTH RERUN: Kalu Seeks Recount Of Votes At Tribunal

FORMER governor of Abia State and Progressive Peoples Alliance (PPA) candidate in the March 5, 2016, Abia North senatorial rerun election, Dr. Orji Uzor Kalu, has asked the Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Umuahia to recount the votes he acquired during the rerun election and declare him winner.

Kalu made the remarks during his interaction with  newsmen at the end of tribunal’s sitting on Tuesday having  opened his case before the tribunal, and emphatically prays the tribunal to declare him winner of the Abia North Senatorial election having polled majority  of lawful votes cast...

“I want the tribunal to recount the votes and declare me winner because I won the election. However, Kalu could not conclude his testimony after mounting the witness box because the tribunal had agreed with counsel to adjourn for the day.
INEC had declared the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, Mao Ohuabunwa, winner of the rerun.

The former governor also reiterated his firm confidence in the judiciary to do the needful stressing that he was hopeful that justice will certainly prevail at the end in his favour by restoring the mandate given to him by the electorates in his senatorial district.

Earlier, a forensic expert, DSP Reginald Odunze, had stated that under cross-examination that INEC did not provide him materials in respect of the election in Umuelem and Eziama Agbo and therefore unable to include them in his reports adding that altogether, a total of 11,464 ballot papers and 4,213 result sheets were examined.

The returning officer for the election, Dr. Nwankwo  Nduka explained he declared the rerun inconclusive because the number of votes outstanding were more than the margin of win insisting that by INEC’s regulations for the election, he had the power to declare an election inconclusive and order a supplementary election.

However, Chief Wole Olanipekun (SAN) opposed the testimony of the forensic expert on the ground that what he had deposed to was an affidavit, which was taken care of in the evidence Act.