The National and State House of Assembly Election Petition Tribunal in Abakaliki has granted an ex-parte order to candidates of the Labour Party (LP) Linus Okorie and Eze Emmanuel, to serve Governor David Umahi and Emmanuel Uguru notice of petition and processes.
Okorie is the senatorial candidate of the LP for Ebonyi South Senatorial Zone, while Eze Emmanuel is the candidate of the LP for Abakaliki/Izzi Federal Constituency.
Okorie, a former House of Representatives member, is challenging the victory of Umahi as the Ebonyi South senator-elect.
Similarly, Emmanuel is challenging the victory of Uguru as the House of Representatives member-elect in the February 25 election.
Counsel for the plaintiffs, Victor Nwonu and Friday Ogazi, who appeared for Okorie and Eze, alleged that the defendants, Umahi and Uguru, had been evading service of the notice of petition and processes and that efforts to get them served had proved abortive.
Nwonu said,
“Our application today was to serve the respondents, Governor Umahi and the All Progressives Congress (APC). You know it is difficult to access the governor because of his security aides.
“We also sought the leave of the court to serve the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and APC at their Abakaliki office addresses, rather than serving them at their Abuja offices. The court granted our applications.
“We also filed an ex-parte order to inspect the INEC electoral materials some time ago and the court granted it.”
Ogazi stated,
“We sought the leave of the court to serve the 1st respondent, Uguru, by other means because since we filed the petition, he has been avoiding service and efforts to get him (Uguru) proved abortive.”
The presiding judge, Justice Mabel Omovie Ogheneyerowo, ordered that the defendants, Governor Umahi of the APC be served at the APC secretariat at Akanu-Ibiam International Conference Centre, Abakaliki.
She also ordered that INEC be served at its office at 10, Town Planning Road, Abakaliki.