Akpabio Vs Ekpenyong: Tribunal Fixes Date To End Pre-hearing

The National Assembly Election Petitions Tribunal sitting in Akwa Ibom state has set May 13 to conclude pre-hearing on the petition seeking to nullify the election of Dr Christopher Ekpenyong as Senator-elect for Akwa Ibom North West.

Chairman of the three-man panel, Justice W. O. Akanbi during pre-hearing session on Friday noted that owing to the nature of the case which is bound by timelines, it would be in the interest of the parties to allow them to proceed to the main subject of the case while the ruling on the preliminary objection will come as part of the final judgement of the tribunal.

He, therefore, adjourned till Monday, May 13, 2019, for completion of pre-hearing and advised parties to review their petitions and streamline their grounds and witnesses for timely adjudication and determination of cases.

Senator Godswill Akpabio of the All Progressives Congress (APC), who lost his re-election bid to the Senate, had approached the tribunal to challenge the outcome of the election that declared Ekpenyong of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as the winner.