Election Petitions Drop

This Day

21 May 2011

Election Petitions Drop

Past Petitions

2003    –     560
2007    –     1,250
2011    –     400

Tribunals set up to adjudicate on disputes arising from the April 2011 general elections will have very little to do across the states, THISDAY investigations have revealed.

Statistics obtained by our correspondents at the end of the deadline for submission of petitions revealed that the volume of petitions by aggrieved politicians concerning the governorship, state and National Assembly elections dropped to 400 as against the 1,250 filed after the 2007 elections.

The number of petitions for 2011 is also much lower than the 560 petitions filed after the 2003 general elections.

Also, at the 2011 Presidential Election Tribunal, only two petitions were filed against the victory of President Goodluck Jonathan compared to the six filed after the 2007 elections against late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua’s election.
The petitions against Jonathan were filed by Major-General Muhammadu Buhari’s Congress for Progressive Change and Hope Democratic Party.

Analysts say the drastic fall in the number of petitions recorded after the April polls must have been influenced by the decisions of many failed candidates to accept the results following what they saw as a largely free and fair elections.

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In Kaduna State, the tribunal received 11 petitions. The CPC is challenging the election of the incumbent Governor Patrick Yakowa.

The CPC has also filed petitions challenging six House of Assembly and five House of Representatives elections won by the Peoples Democratic Party.

In Ondo State, only five petitions were filed in respect of the April polls. They are challenging one state and four national assembly election results.

Former governor Olusegun Aguagu of PDP is challenging the election of Labour Party’s Boluwaji Kunlere for the Ondo East Senatorial seat.

In 2007, over 40 petitions were filed, challenging virtually every result in the state. No governorship election took place in the state.

Our correspondent reports that in Niger State the tribunal received only four petitions. There was no petition against the election of Governor Babangida Aliyu unlike in 2007 when one was filed against his victory.

The Akwa Ibom State tribunal received 17 petitions. Three are for the senatorial elections, five for House of Represent-atives, two governorship and seven petitions for the House of Assembly elections.

Steve Ibanga of Pan African Congress and John Akpan Udoedehe of the ACN are challenging Governor Godswill Akpabio’s victory.

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The Bayelsa tribunal has just six petitions before it. One involves former deputy governor Peremobowei Ebebi of the LP challenging Senator Heineken Lokpobri election for Bayelsa West Senatorial seat. Lokpobri is of the PDP.No governorship election took place in the state.

The Kwara State tribunal received just four petitions. It received only one petition against the governorship poll as against the three it received in 2007. Mohammed Belgore of the ACN is challenging the election of Abdulfatah Ahmed of the PDP as governor.
In one other petition in Kwara State, Oloriegbe Yahaya of the ACN is challenging the election of Bukola Saraki for Kwara Central Senatorial seat. Bilkisu Tinuola Gambari of the CPC is also challenging Saraki’s election.

The tribunal in Cross River received just six petitions arising from the April polls. No governorship election in the state until next year.

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The tribunal in Imo State received 14 petitions.
Notable among the petitions are that of former governor Achike Udenwa of ACN against the election of Hope Uzodinma of PDP; Ambassador Kema Chikwe of PDP against Senator Chris Anyanwu of the All Progressives Grand alliance and Chief Cosmas Iwu of the ACN against Ambassador Mathew Nwagwu of PDP.
There was no single petition against Rochas Okorocha, the governor-elect. The tribunal in Imo received more than 50 petitions in 2007.

In Delta State, four petitions were filed as against six filed in 2007. Chief Great Ogboru of the Democratic Peoples Party is challenging the victory of Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan of PDP.

Two gubernatorial petitions were filed after the 2007 polls in Delta State.
Sixteen petitions have been received by the tribunal in Borno State. Four of them are in respect of the House of Representatives pol, one against the governorship election and 11 against the state assembly.

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In Lagos, the tribunal has 15 cases to handle. Eleven concerns National Assembly polls and four, state assembly election.There is no petition against the re-election of Governor Babatunde Fashola.

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In Kano State, the tribunal has nine petitions before it unlike in 2007 when it had five to handle. Two of the 2011 petitions are challenging the election of Rabiu Kwakwanso as governor.

In Katsina, 11 petitions before the tribunal. However, Governor Ibrahim Shema’s re-election was not challenged unlike in 2007 when his victory was challenged. In 2007, the Katsina tribunal handled 13 cases.

The tribunal in Abia received 25 petitions. Five of the petitions are against the re-election of Governor Theodore Orji. Another five were filed against the outcome of the senatorial polls and nine against the House of Representatives results while six were filed against Abia State House of Assembly results.

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The tribunal in Edo State has 14 petitions to adjudicate on. However, this is low compared with the 20 petitions it received in respect of the 2007 general elections. There was no governorship election in the state.

The Rivers State tribunal received 40 petitions. Four petitions are against the re-election of Governor Rotimi Amaechi. Five are against senatorial election results, nine against House of Representatives results and 22 against State House of Assembly results.