Senator Jarigbe Jarigbe, of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), representing Cross River Northern Senatorial District in the National Assembly, has defeated former Governor Ben Ayade of the All Progressives Congress (APC) at the election petition tribunal in Calabar.

Giving the judgement on Saturday, a three-man tribunal of justices, headed by Justice Mohammed Sambo, in a unanimous decision, upheld Mr Jarigbe’s election.

Delivering judgement, Mr Sambo noted that the assertions of irregularities presented to the tribunal by the petitioner were not backed by documentary evidence.

Mr Ayade had, in suit number EPT/CR/SEN/02/2023, approached the court to nullify the February 25, 2023, senatorial election for “being riddled with malpractices and not complying with the electoral act.

The former governor also disputed results from about 377 polling units in the election.

However, in the over four-hour judgement, the tribunal dismissed the petition, stating there was no sufficient evidence to invalidate the election.

Speaking to journalists, counsel to Mr Jarigbe, Mba Ukweni, SAN, said the judgement confirmed the people’s will. 

He said, “The petitioner was rejected at the poll, and there was no reason to come to the tribunal to act contrary to what the people had decided.

“The tribunal is not meant to upset the will of the people. It is to affirm what the people had decided in the field, and that was exactly what happened today.”

(NAN)