Anambra elections tribunal strikes out 12 petitions

The Anambra Elections Petitions Tribunal sitting in Awka says it has struck out 16 petitions of the 42 filed.

Falilat Orire, the secretary of the tribunal, made this known in an interview with News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Awka on Thursday.

Mrs Orire said four petitions including one for Senate, one for House of Representatives, and two for the state House of Assembly were dismissed for lack of diligent prosecution.

The scribe said seven petitions had been consolidated into three.

She said those withdrawn and struck out include two for Senate, one for House of Representatives and nine for the state House of Assembly.

According to the secretary, petitions dismissed were EPT/AN/SEN/09/2019, EPT/AN/HR/05/2019, EPT/AN/SHA/22/2019 and EPT/AN/SHA/39/2019.

The petitions withdrawn and struck out were EPT/AN/SEN/06/2019, EPT/AN/SEN/14/2019, EPT/AN/HR/03/2019, EPT/AN/SEN/09/2019, EPT/AN/SHA/4/2019, EPT/AN/SHA/18/2019, and EPT/AN/SHA/19/2019.

Others include EPT/AN/SHA/24/2019, EPT/AN/SHA/30/2019, EPT/AN/SHA/35/2019, EPT/AN/SHA/39/2019, EPT/AN/SHA/40/2019, and EPT/AN/SHA/41/2019.

Mrs Orire said the petitions consolidated were EPT/AN/SEN/09/2019 and EPT/AN/SEN/11/2019; EPT/AN/HR/04/2019, EPT/AN/HR/08/2019, and EPT/AN/HR/12/2019 and EPT/AN/HR/29/2019 and EPT/AN/HR/34/2019.

She said only 22 petitions are still pending before the state election tribunal.

NAN reports that there are three panels sitting on election petition matters in Anambra.

(NAN)