Group applauds relocation of Imo Election Petition Tribunal sitting to Nasarawa

The relocation of the National and State Houses of Assembly Election Petition Tribunal to Nasarawa State has triggered reactions from a section of Imo people on Tuesday.

CAPITAL POST recalled that the President of the Court of Appeal has ordered the Imo Election Petition Tribunal Judges to relocate its sitting from Owerri to Nasarawa State over security concerns in the State.

Reacting to the directive, some section of political stakeholders, leaders and interest groups described it as laudable, given that there were threats to Judicial officers handling the cases.

Quick to react to the relocation which took place over the weekend is the Imo Political Stakeholders Forum, saying that the relocation will afford litigants to feel free to present their cases without intimidation from the hydra headed unknown gunmen.

Leader of the Forum, Amb. Sam Nwandu, pointed out that the Tribunal will now have the atmosphere to look into how election results above bimodal voter accreditation system (BVAS) was announced by the electoral body (INEC) in some constituencies in Imo State.

He said: “With this relocation we believe that it will give the judges the right atmosphere to look into how election results above bimodal voter accreditation system BVAS, was announced by the electoral body INEC.”

Imo State Branch of the Nigeria Bar Association in a statement by its Publicity Secretary, Daniel Odiba, urged litigants and Counsels to make themselves available at the new venue.

Part of the statement read: “All lawyers, litigants and the general public are to take note that the National/state Assembly Election Petition Tribunal, Owerri, Imo State, has been relocated to the High Court Complex, Opposite Shopping Malls, Mararaba Nyanya, Nasarawa State.”