BREAKING: Again, Governor Otu defeats Sandy Onor as Tribunal trashes PDP’s petition

Again, Governor Otu defeats Sandy Onor as Tribunal trashes PDP’s petition

The Cross River state governorship election petition tribunal has affirmed Prince Bassey Otu as the duly elected governor of the state.

In a judgment delivered on Tuesday, the tribunal dismissed the petition of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and its candidate, Sandy Ojang Onor, for lacking in merit.

The judge held that the issues of qualification of Prince Otu and dual citizenship of Rt Hon Odey are pre-election matters and, therefore, status barred. Also,the issue of the party’s membership of Rt Hon Odey is not justiciable in law the tribunal so held.

Otu polled a total of 258,619 votes to defeat his closest rival, Senator Sandy Onor of the Peoples Democratic Party who garnered 179,636 votes.

Otu won in 15 of the 18 local government areas while PDP won three LGAs.

Declaring Otu winner, the state Returning Officer and the Vice Chancellor of Federal University Otuoke, Teddy Adias said, “That Otu Bassey Edet, having got the maximum number of valid votes and having met the requirements of the law is hereby declared elected.”

He announced that there were 1766466 registered voters in the 18 LGAs of the state.

Not satisfied, Sandy Onor and his party filed a petition challenging the outcome of the election.