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The Imo state National Assembly Election Petition Tribunal, has granted an ex-parte motion, for substituted service, filed by the Accord Party to serve the People’s Democratic Party’s senatorial candidate in the March 28th National Assembly elections, Chief Athanasius Nneji Achonu, over an alleged unlawful exclusion of the party’s official logo on the ballot paper, in the concluded senatorial election in the zone.
The tribunal at its inaugural sitting in Owerri yesterday, ordered that the PDP senatorial candidate be served with all relevant documents that are related to the said petition on the country home gate, which is located at Umunumo village in Ehime Mbano local government area of the state.
According to the Counsels to the Accord party, the act of substituted service on the PDP candidate was initiated, following the inability of the Court Bailiff to serve the third respondent, who allegedly refused to make himself available to be served.
The Court bailiff had declared that efforts to serve Chief Achonu, at his residence in Owerri and his Umunumo country home proved abortive, thereby informing his decision to file an affidavit of non-service to the tribunal.
It would be recalled that the Accord party had approached the tribunal over the alleged failure of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to include its party’s logo on the Okigwe senatorial election ballot paper, which had Mrs Rita Ibemere, as its candidate, whom according to the party, met all the necessary and constitutional requirements needed for its inclusion on the ballot.
INEC had declared Chief Athanasius Achonu, as winner of the Okigwe zone’s senatorial election, which had sparked-off legion of litigations both from the APC candidate in the election and the Speaker of the state House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Benjamin Uwajumogu and the Accord party, as well as other political parties
