The Abia State governorship election petitions tribunal sitting in Umuahia has overruled the objections of Governor Okezie Ikpeazu  and the Peoples Democratic Party against the admissibility of some unit results from Ugwunagbo Ward 1 in the April  election in the state.

Overruling the objections, Chairman of the tribunal, Hon. Justice Usman Bwala, said  the document was properly certified in compliance with Section 104 of the Evidence Act and the tribunal’s prescription.

Bwala, therefore, admitted the document and marked it as Exhibit PB01A-A6.

Ikpeazu, PDP and the Independent National Electoral Commission had objected to the admittance of unit results from  Ugwunagbo, Isiala Ngwa North , and Umuahia North as exhibits.

The petitioner, Dr. Alex Otti of the All Progressives Grand Alliance, had, through his counsel, tendered the documents as exhibits but the respondents, Ikpeazu, PDP and INEC raised objections.

Otti had gone to the tribunal to challenge the results from five councils comprising  Ugwunagbo, Isialnagwa North, Obingwa, Osisioma and Umuahia North, alleging they were outrageous.

Counsel for Otti, Prof. Awa Kalu (SAN), who tendered the results, contended that they were duly certified in full compliance with Section 104 of the Evidence Act and the tribunal’s directive on Friday, August 13.

The tribunal had, last week, thrown out some results presented by Otti’s counsel on the grounds that they did not contain the name of the INEC officer that signed them.

But Chief Wole Olanikpeku (SAN), Dr. Onyechi Ikpeazu (SAN) and Dr. Livy Uzoukwu (SAN), counsels for Ikpeazu, PDP and INEC respectively, objected to their admissibility.

The respondents’ counsels argued that the result sheets were not properly and duly certified in compliance to Section 104 of the Evidence Act and urged the tribunal not to admit them.

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