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The Appeal Court has reserved Judgement for Friday in the matter brought before it by the Independent National Electoral Commission INEC and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) asking for reversal of the nullification of governor Diri’s election ,
The majority judgement of the state governorship election tribunal had ordered the conduct of a fresh election on the premise that INEC had no right to disqualify any candidate.
In their separate appeals, the appellants had pleaded that the conduct of the gubernatorial election and its outcome which produced Diri as governor be affirmed having complied with relevant laws.
Diri’s counsel,Chief Chris Uche,(SAN), had argued that the case of the first respondent was statutorily barred as at the time it was filed.
He claimed that the case of the Advanced Nigeria Democratic Party,ANCP, was a breach of the constitution because it was based on an attempt to field two underaged candidates st the governoship poll
According to him, while INEC disqualified the candidates of the ANDP from participatiing in the election in October last yesr, the respondent did not challenge his disqualification until February this year which he said was more than 5 months and against the 14 days period allowed by law.
He therefore asked the Appeal Court to set aside the decision of the Tribunal nullifying the election and uphold his election victory
