Nkwonta vs Abaribe: What happened at tribunal Monday -

Chris Nkwonta, candidate of the All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA) for Abia South Senatorial District, on Monday closed his case against Sen. Enyinnaya Abaribe of the Peoples Democratic Party and two other respondents.

Nkwonta had approached the National Assembly Elections Petitions Tribunal, sitting in Umuahia, to nullify the declaration of the Senate Minority Leader as the winner of the February 23 poll.

He called 34 witnesses, although his council, Mr Ken Ahia (SAN), told the tribunal that he had seven more witnesses but decided to drop them for want of time.

One of the witnesses, Kenneth Ijeoma, a Ward Collation agent for APGA in Ward 4, Ugwunagbo Loal Government Area, told the panel that the election in all the units under his watch was marred by irregularities.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Nkwonta is urging the tribunal to nullify Abaribe’s election and declare him the winner.

He claimed to have won a majority of the lawful votes cast at the poll.

Chairman of the panel, Justice Adeyinka Aderibigbe, adjourned sitting to Thursday, for the first respondent – the Independent National Electoral Commission – to open its defence.