By Christiana Ekpa
The New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) has announced that it has appealed the ruling of the Ogun State governorship and House of Assembly Election Petition Tribunal.
The party said it was not satisfied with the tribunal’s verdict on its gubernatorial election petition.
Recall that NNPP had earlier taken its petition to the gubernatorial election petition tribunal sitting in Abeokuta, the state capital.
NNPP’s petition was based on the omission of the party’s name on the ballot papers used during the election held across the state on Saturday, 18th March 2023.
The tribunal had, on April 15, 2023, dismissed the petition against Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as the first respondent, Abiodun Adedapo Olusegun as the second respondent and the All Progressives Congress (APC) as the third respondent on the ground that the debrief counsel asked for discontinuation and withdrawal of the petition.
The party has, however, said that it is not satisfied with the decision of the tribunal.
The party noted that it is appealing the ruling because the judges that heard the case erred in their judgement.
NNPP said that it has filed an appeal to challenge the verdict of the tribunal.
NNPP counsel, I. D. Izunya, in a statement made available to journalists on Friday, informed that the party had filed an appeal on May 22, 2023, on suit No EPT/OG/GOV/01/2023, at the Court of Appeal sitting in the Ibadan Judicial Division.
He added that the party was not dissatisfied with the unanimous judgement by the three judges at the election petition tribunal.
According to him: “The learned justices erred in law when they unanimously held that by Article 27.18 (iii), (v) and (vii) of the Constitution of New Nigeria Peoples Party (Hereinafter called NNPP) the National Legal Adviser of NNPP cannot take over the appellant case, brief another counsel and debrief the counsel on record, Mr Peter I. Ogah, from further representing the party.
“That by Article 27.18 (iii), (v) and (vi) of the constitution of NNPP the National Legal Adviser of the Party is empowered to attend to all litigations and legal defence on behalf of the party at all levels, including its organs and coordinate the activities of Legal Advisers at all levels on legal matters affecting the party.”
