The President of the Court of Appeal, Justice Monica Dongban-Mensem, has ordered the immediate relocation of the Ebonyi Election Petitions Tribunal to Abuja, News About Nigeria reports.
The tribunal office at the Ebonyi Judiciary Headquarters in Abakaliki has been shut down as a result of the directive.
Nyior Sekulla, the tribunal Secretary, made the announcement in Abakaliki on Wednesday.
He stated that all processes relating to cases before the tribunal would continue in Abuja, and the EPT sitting in Abakaliki would no longer operate in Ebonyi as of April 26.
The reason for the relocation is not yet clear, but it is speculated that it may be due to security concerns.
There have been reports of violence and intimidation during recent elections in Ebonyi, and some political parties have alleged irregularities and malpractice.
The Ebonyi Election Petitions Tribunal was set up to hear and determine petitions arising from the state’s 2023 general elections.
The tribunal consists of three judges appointed by the President of the Court of Appeal.
Petitions can be filed by anyone who contested the election or anyone who has evidence of irregularities or malpractice.
The tribunal has the power to nullify the election results and order a fresh election if it finds that there were substantial irregularities.
The tribunal has been sitting in Abakaliki since it was set up.
It has heard several petitions, including those filed by the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and the Labour Party (LP) challenging the results of the governorship election in the state.
The aggrieved parties had alleged that the election was marred by violence, ballot box snatching, and other irregularities.
