I will explore higher judicial layers to reclaim my mandate – Onyeizu tells Abaribe

The Senatorial flagbearer of the Labour Party, LP, at the February 25 National Assembly Polls, Engr. Chinedu Onyeizu has disagreed with the decision of the Election Petition Tribunal to quash his case on technical grounds against the declaration of the former Senate Minority Leader, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe candidate of the All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA, winner of the Abia South senatorial election.

Recall that Onyizu’s petition was dismissed for non-compliance with paragraph 18 of the first schedule of the Electoral Act as the Court ruled that the petitioners did not apply for pre-trial.

Speaking to newsmen on the outcome of his case with Abaribe at the Tribunal, Onyeizu maintained that the verdict did not come to him as a surprise, noting that it only confirmed his earlier fears that he would not get justice going by the composition of the tribunal as his earlier request for the re- assignment of the case was turned down.

The LP Abia South February 25 2023 Senatorial Candidate noted that before the commencement of trials, he had during his address expressed reservations on the ability of the tribunal to be fair and just as he alleged personal affinity between the chairman of the tribunal Justice Adeyinka Adebisi and Senator Abaribe, stressing that Justice Adebisi was also the Panel Chair in the case between Abaribe and Chris Nkwonta in 2019.

AUDIO 1

Engr Onyeizu wondered why the tribunal would strike out his case on technical grounds of not applying for pre-trial stressing that verifiable records show that the three respondents in the case; Senator Abaribe, APGA and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) were individually served the pre-trial notice, whereas INEC acknowledged receipt of the notice, the other two did not.

AUDIO 2

Onyeizu expressed readiness to explore the remaining judicial layers in the land to reclaim his mandate as he called on the judiciary to against all odds live up to its mandate of being the last hope of the common man.